The closer your kids get to adulthood, the harder it will be to get them to spend time at home and actually enjoy it. Usually, you will get a million and one reasons why they want to go to a friend’s house or they will even try the “I’ve got studying to do at the library.” It didn’t work in your day but if you play your cards right, it shouldn’t work today. Actually, there are some fairly effective ways to get your teens to spend more time at home, and if you get it right, there won’t be much of a fight.

Let Them Choose the Activities for Family Night

If your kids have never played cornhole, now would be a good time to introduce them to the game. It is usually played outdoors with two slanted “goal” boards and small beanbags they toss to make it through the holes in the boards. The court should be approximately 10 to 15 feet in width and about 40 to 45 feet in length. They can play teams and if you’ve an odd number of family members to comprise the two teams, let them have a friend over to join the fun. You can find cornhole boards here along with personalized cornhole bags as well. Before long, this will be the activity they choose most often and it won’t be difficult to get them to stay home without putting up a fight.

Encourage Them to Have Friends Over

Speaking of that friend they can invite to round off the teams, you might want to let them have one night out of the week as a ‘friends’ night. This would be a time that they could invite a few friends over for pizza, to watch a movie, play a bit of music or even just play a video game if they are into gaming. In fact, if they have a console or a gaming laptop or PC, it won’t be hard to get them to stay home on friends’ night. The noise may get to you a little (more than a little?) but at least you’ll know where your teens are and that they are safe and substance free.

Work on a Project of Their Choosing – Within Limits

Another cool idea that might interest your teen is to find a project you can work on together. It could be a woodworking project, some kind of craft like painting, or needlework, but the key to success is to let them choose the project, within limits that is. You obviously can’t let them decide to build a boat or a new swimming pool, but then again, if that’s something you can do, why not?

Throughout all of this, just remember to give them space to be teens. Let them learn how to be responsible individuals so that when they embark on life as an adult, they will be prepared to meet the challenges they will be faced with. With that being said, by giving them fun-filled family activities and a place where they can sit on their own, you will be showing them that there is a flow to life that includes work, play and rest. By giving them increasing levels of freedom, they will want to stay home more and that is exactly what you are looking for.