Chin Up!
What do you show a 14-year old in London? That’s been my problem. We’ve taken a river cruise on the Thames to Greenwich, seen the Prime Meridian and the Observatory, hiked all the way to Greenwich station to take the DLR (look mom, no driver!) to Tower Gateway and then the number 15 bus to Trafalgar Square. Maybe I’m gearing the sightseeing more toward the older or younger end of the market, but I could imagine a teenager getting excited about going around London, seeing a shedload in a day.
Instead, he’s been moaning how bored he is and refuses to do anything but slouch and drag his feet when we’re walking. I know he’s excited about the Imperial War Museum (as any boy would be) but nothing else seems to work. He kept saying how much he just wants to go back to the hotel room to watch TV. I guess I can understand that, I must have been difficult as a teenager as well - it must be part of going through that age. But being in London with people that actually know something about the place and just moaning? I don’t get it.
I know they’re going to the Tower tomorrow, on Monday. Maybe the crowds won’t be as massive on a Monday morning. What else is there for a teenager to do, except for the Star Wars exhibition at the ExCel? It’s strange, I need to keep telling myself that he’s not yet of the age when you can just go and hit some pubs for fun.
Being a teen must suck.
May 21st, 2007 at 16:58
Maybe take him down on the South Bank to where the skateboarders and BMX guys do their thing? Even if he’s not a skater himself, t’s still pretty fun to watch… Other than that, I think teenagers generally just want their freedom, but you can’t really just let him loose in London. hrm.
May 21st, 2007 at 20:09
That’s a good idea. There’s good weather in store for the next few days and walking down the banks of the river we cruised down would give him a reference point for the city. “Oh, there’s that building again” and things.
Helsinki is so small compared to London, I think he feels somewhat intimidated.