School is out and our teens are eager to hang out with their friends, sleep late and maybe look for a job. Do you know how to help your teen manage their summer vacation? As our children age and we are no longer consumed with finding babysitters or qualified daycare for the summers we often breathe a sigh of relief that those days are over. Well, don’t be so quick to give your teen complete freedom. What can happen if we give our teenagers too much rope? They may wind up tripping over the excess or even worse, hanging themselves, metaphorically speaking of course. Summer starts out innocent enough and packed full of good intentions, but without a direct plan of attack, the season becomes boring, monotonous and unbearable. As parents or caregivers, it is our responsibility to help them design a roadmap for their successful and productive summer vacation. Start with big calendar and fill in any dates that are already reserved for family activities, doctor appointments or other standing commitments that involve your teen. Mark off planned vacation days, family reunions, summer school and other dates that may interfere with summer plans. Your teen now knows which days of the summer are already spoken for and are non-negotiable. Next, fill in any dates that your teen has committed to that you may or may not be aware of. This could be their best friend’s birthday, a midnight must-see movie premiere or a promise made to a vacationing neighbor to feed their cat. How is your calendar looking now? As you discuss the different events happening this summer with your teen, this is a great time to slide in a few time management pointers. For example, if Grandma’s 90th birthday is the day after a midnight movie premiere, it is probably not a good idea to have a sleep over after the movie. Your teen will need to be rested up for the party, so plan a summer slumber party on a night that potentially will not ruin Grandma’s party. Now that you know what days and times are available on your teen’s calendar, ask them how they intend to fill up some of those days. Maybe they want to join a health club, or a swim team? Maybe they have actively been pursuing a job outside of the home? What about church activities or social clubs? What do you want them to do this summer? Is cleaning out their bedroom closet on your list? What about something like painting their bedroom walls or the dining room walls? Teens are ready to take on additional responsibilities, but it is our job as parents to guide them through the idle days of summer. This helps them make better choices for themselves when they are on their own next year to complete the summer vacation calendar on their own.
Article Source: http://www.bizymoms.com/expert-advice
Judie Mackie is a reporter, writer and editor for SearchAmelia.com. She has three children; the youngest is a freshman in high school, and lives on an island paradise in NE Florida with her husband of 20 years.