What’s the sweet spot for teen lifespans and HSY?

I usually play a custom extra long lifespan but keep teens at 12-18 days because I find them boring, even with HSY gameplay.

My problem is I recognize this is too short to really immerse myself in HSY gameplay - not enough time to move up in extra curriculars, finish teen aspirations without speed running, etc - especially when managing other sims because I prefer family style play.

At the same time, 12-18 days of following my Sims attend the same 2 classes, go to rabbit hole activities, and have prom 1x weekly feels too long and I don’t want to extend.

I know there are mods that reduce the frequency of much of what I’m complaining about. Curious how others make HSY more worth it and engaging? Do you just focus entirely on your teen sim while they’re in high school and let everyone else fend for themselves?