Preparing Your Teen for the Transition to Summer

As the weather heats up, teens start looking forward to the summer break from school. Help prepare your teen for the transition from the structure of the school year to the wide open schedule of summertime. Offer your teen plenty of options for activities to prevent boredom and risky behavior.  By researching summer opportunities now, you'll help your teen establish reasonable summer expectations.

Summer Employment
Help your teen look for a safe, rewarding summer job. Teens can work at camps for younger kids, at summer facilities such as swimming pools or in restaurants. According to the Occupational Safety & Health Administration, almost 30 percent of food and drink employees are under the age of 20. Landscaping and lawn service are also popular jobs for teens during the summer. Contact your teen’s employer to verify the safety and validity of the position.

Summer Camps
If your teen is younger, try looking into a summer camp or overnight camp. In this case, your teen should be able to give you input regarding her interests. Sending a teen to a camp she doesn’t want to attend is an unnecessary punishment. Look into camps that teach specific skills or adventure camps that incorporate travel and physical fitness.

Summer Volunteering
High school students are required to complete a certain number of volunteer hours to graduate. Service organizations and other clubs often require additional hours. The summer is the perfect time to get in a good chunk of volunteer time. Help your teen look into short term volunteering opportunities, such as work for local animal shelters or with service organization with summer activities.

Summer Travel
Older teens may have the opportunity to travel during the summer. If your teen is driving to his destination, share safe driving tips and help your teen navigate the safest routes. Discourage teens from driving while sleepy and help map out safe places to stay the night on longer trips. Look into opportunities for teens to spend summer time with extended family for a safe, budget-friendly chance to travel.

Summer Homework and School
Unfortunately, homework can’t be entirely ignored over the summer. Encourage teens to read and to work on skills needed for the upcoming school year. The summer is a good chance to take test prep courses and specialized courses such as driver’s education. If your teen has to complete or retake basic courses during summer, give her opportunities to unwind so she doesn’t feel left out of summer fun.

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