Please note: We have mainly written about England, as that is the country within the UK where our students live. We would be very happy for schools and visitors to send us information we can add to our website on Wales and Scotland.

Page last updated November 2002

Pocket Money

The average amount of pocket money for seven to 11-year-olds is £6.31 per week.

The average amount of pocket money for 12 to 16-year-olds is £9.15 per week.

What is life of a teenager like in England?

Teenagers in England do much the same as kids in America or other European countries do. They enjoy chatting to and texting friends on their mobiles, hanging out with their mates, listening to the latest music on their MP3 players, shopping for the latest fashions or just watching movies on the television or at the cinema (movie house).

See also the school life of a Teenager and Jobs Teenagers do

In my free time I swim, go into town, text my mates, do household stuff with my mum and dad, go on the internet, watch TV and play on my Playstation and Gamegear!

I listen to music all the time! I have a mp3 and a CD player. In Britain, most youths listen to punk, garage, house, rock, pop and R&B. (such as Busted, McFly, JLo, Xtina, Beyonce, Pink, Britney, Justin Timberlake, Mis-teeq)

Five Days in the Life of Teenager during a School Holiday

Day One

I've had an OK day today. I got up at 12 midday, ate cookie crisp for breakfast. Mum went out to Tescos during the afternoon. I wasn't on my own for too long though. Mum only bought food for lunch.

I checked my mobile phone during lunch - one of my friends texted me early in the morning and I'd only just noticed it! I sent back a reply and apologised for not replying sooner.

After lunch I sat around watching telly and finishing my English / History / German / Science homework.

Had dinner at about 6:30, I had a microwave able pizza and crinkle chips. I went upstairs, finished off my English homework, I listened to Avril Lavigne and Dido for a while, came back downstairs at about 7:15, came onto the internet. Watched Emmerdale, then Coronation Street and am now watching Eastenders.

Tesco is a supermarket

Telly is slang for television

Emmerdale, Coronation Street and Eastenders are all Soap Operas

Day Two

I woke up at 10:45, Mum and I went into town. Afterwards, we phoned mum's mate and her daughter (my mate) to ask if we could come round afterwards, as we hadn't seen each other for months!

We stayed at our friends house for an hour and a half - during that time me and my mate browsed the internet Afterwards we went to Tescos to get dinner - microwave Indian meal for three (mum, dad, me).

Day Three

I woke up at 10 am ish, I think. Mum and I went back into Maidstone today, as we needed to get the Sunday Roast stuff for, well, Sunday. We also bought fish and chips for lunch and I bought some new funky crayola spider pens. We popped into to Sainsburys on our way back home.

Ever since then, I have been surfing the internet, eating dinner (sausages,mash,beans) and watching a bit of TV.

Day Four

Mum went to work today, I did some more homework and in the afternoon I surfed the internet. Mum left me out lunch before she went. I also prayed at about 2pm.

Now watching channel FIVE.

I'm afraid that's all I've done today

Day Five

I woke up at 2pm, and so did my mum. We went to Tesco at 3:30pm - where mum kept meeting her friends, and we chatted for 2 hours! When we got home, it was already time for dinner(sausage, egg and chips). Afterwards, I did more homework until 2am - and I'm not joking!

Favourite Things

Results from a survey of 5000 British 12 to 18 year-olds conducted by UK's Bliss magazine in 2004

Web Site Links

Life of a British Born Chinese Boy

A good place to see what teenagers in Britain are up to is
bbc.co.uk/teens

Read about how family life in England is changing