OS Mother and daughter bonding - ideas please!

spiddy100

How about a window shopping trip? Go round the posh shops and spend nothing but try on lots of things, encourage each other to try on new styles or unusual/outrageous items and see if you learn something about what suits you. You could always do a round of charity shopping afterwards and see if you can pick up anything in your new-found style.

snowleopard61

Spiddy100, I love the idea, and enjoy doing this myself occasionally (certainly did when I was young) but I find it tends to make her discontented - she just can't see the point, and it makes her feel hard done by. I recently said to her that I was sorry she didn't have rich parents but at least I loved her a lot and she said that her friends' parents loved them a lot and also were rich! This was all fairly good-humoured and tongue in cheek but you see the difficulty ...

PS I love your sig, and that tends to be my philosophy!

Broomstick

Have you ever tried to put together your family tree? Do you have enough info to get going on it? There's quite a lot you can do free on the internet or with access to your local records office. I'm sure there are experts somewhere on this forum too!

My sisters and I have been helping our parents in finding out all sorts of bits and pieces over the last ten years and it's something that all of us are happy to talk about.

B x

spiddy100

Ah, that's a shame. If you don't sew, there are other crafty things that might be fun and inexpensive. I know Gok did a haberdashery section on his last show where he fancied up handbags and accessories using cheap bits of craft/haberdashery stuff. If you could find a project or two perhaps you could give it a go with a CS handbag or similar? Or making jewellery? I know my friends and I used to do this when we were students, making chokers out of bits of ribbon, sticking bows on cheap shoes etc.

Found a link: http://www.channel4.com/4beauty/style/customising-clothes Belt made from a piece of rope and other projects!

valk_scot

Given that you're going to have to eat anyway, how about cooking a themed meal together? Italian night, Chinese night, Curry night? That sort of thing, or make pasta or sushi together.

Also, odd though it may seem, how about some DIY? Paint a room together. Or do some gardening, or decluttering.

Final suggestion...ask her what she'd like to do too? She may have some definate ideas of her own what she wants to do for her time at home, even if it is just sleep. Or she may have some studying to do.

saratoga

My eldest daughter(16) and I spent hours a few days ago getting all the old photos out of boxes and transfering them on to the laptop so she could download them onto her laptop.
I must admit it is quite hard to find something they love doing that does not cost anything,although if I'm in the kitchen making something with chocolate (or anything sweet,kids of all ages lick the bowl!) she will stand and talk to me about all the serious things in her life just because the focus is'nt solely on the conversation.

snowleopard61

Broomstick - family history fascinates me, and I've always been extremely curious about my own, but for some reason neither of my daughters are like that. They'll listen politely if I try to tell them, and will look at old photographs if I press them to it, but show no real interest of their own - surprisingly, even in their own childhoods! My elder daughter (20) is a bit easier in this respect, but the one in question really isn't. Sadly ...

sistercas

snoopy58 wrote: »

How about a 'beauty session' at home. Maincure, pedicure, facials etc but in the comfort of your own home! Do them for each or just for yourselves, but do them together. My daughter (who's 23 has been an undergrad and is now on a post grad course) love doing this. Then have a chocolate and movies session. We love getting the old favourites out; 'Love Actually', 'You've Got Mail' etc. And chat, chat, chat.
Lovely!

brilliant ideas :T i have an 18 yr old daughter and thats just what we do
also we go for lunch occasionally a pub near us does 2 meals for a fiver and we really enjoy that
also window shopping at the local shopping centre
walking in the countryside , we live near a beautiful derbyshire village and we often go there and have a little walk and either have an ice cream in the summer or a hot choc in the winter
alot of the time we dont even get dressed and just flop on the sofa in our jammies and a blanket and watch movies and eat chocolate

Aarons_mummy

What about modifying her student stuff, folders and that sort of thing, making them personal to her and funky. She might not be into it. Or how about making homemade notebooks there was something on here I believe about it a while ago, all you would need new (I think!) is paper and it's something practical she could use.

What about a board game evening with a bottle of wine or making a meal.

I think the best thing is probably going to be beauty and DVDs, it doesn't sound like there's much that you both enjoy that is free/cheap.

snowleopard61

Aarrrggh! I just typed a reply to about three people, then pressed 'Quote' and it lost the lot. So annoying!

Basically - the photo/family history idea certainly appeals to me, although this is always something I feel I'm imposing on my daughters; they seem to have no natural curiosity about their family's past, even my own childhood and even theirs! Seems strange to me as I absolutely plagued my parents and grandparents with questions about their lives. (And wandered around old cemeteries and churchyards for interest's sake, but guess I'm just weird!)