Send them off exploring!
Doesn’t matter where you live, there’s always something out there to discover. Pay for a bus pass if you need to or send them off on foot. Suggest some areas to explore or point out features of the local area which your teenager might find interesting. Knowing the surrounding area is generally a good idea for safety anyway and it’s a great way to get them outdoors and doing things!
Get to work!
Teenagers who work are less likely to get into trouble and having to earn their own money will teach them its value early on. This is an important lesson to learn as it can be a real shock when you realise that everything we have and quite often do comes at a price and none of it is as cheap as we may have believed when we were younger. Obviously working gets them out of the house too but it can also teach responsibility, social skills and respect for authority other than yours.
Let them Plan Something
If you give them a taste of control and have them plan a family activity this can keep them busy for ages. They’ll get excited about it and providing the right amount of effort into the planning and execution you could end up enjoying it as much as they do! A great way to teach responsibility and get them off the couch at the same time!