School Transitions into Summer

School is about to be over for the summer.  Teens everywhere are already "checked out" from school.  How will their summer break go for them?

As parents of teens, having a checklist for those "checked out" teens can help the summer be a positive time for them and you.

1. Help your teen finish his school year on a positive note.  Encourage him to organize and study for finals and turn in remaining homework and projects.  One way to help is to plan something fun to do when school is finished for him to look forward to doing. 

2.  Think with your teen about what activities would help him most this summer in terms of his goals.  A job can be helpful not only to earn money, but to build a resume for further education or for more jobs.  A summer camp in an area of interest - such as the theatre, music, or science can be helpful in strengthening academics or areas of interest. 

3.  Physical activity is a must for summer!  Exercise is helpful not only for health, but also helpful for any sports your teen might engage in when school returns.

4.  And don't forget about FUN - plan fun activities that you can do as a family - and include your teen in the planning.  Picnics, visiting nearby parks, attending summer concerts or other events in your community can be fun for everyone.

Have a great summer!

Debra Atkisson Kowalski, M.D.

  

Comments

[C. Dwayne Shafer, MD, PhD]

Several years ago, I read an article that in the area of mathematics, leaving the study of the subject for 3 months took nearly 2.5 months to get them back to the level at which they were functioning the previous May, but students who did very basic work sheets 15-30 minutes/day, 5 days a week did not require this remedial work. After homeschooling 3 sons, we found that this work on math and working a "leisure" reading list, made starting back to school much easier, and all finished high school with advance math skills, one having finished thru Calculus 3 at the local University. It also decreased resistance to starting back to school, and did not seem burdensome since we did not inttroduce any "new" materials. If your child is struggling in these areas, the few minutes/day might pay great returns.