Summer is here! Most schools will be out for summer by the end of this week. What does this mean for your family and your teen?
All of the teens I have talked to lately are focused on one topic: vacation versus work. All teens want to have fun this summer, hang out with friends, take life easy. But they also feel the need to work - hopefully to make some money to help with college in the future or just to fund their fun with friends. Some teens have even told me that they feel like they are in a real bind as to what to do.
As parents you can help your teen with this dilemma by teaching them how to balance fun with work. I really like and agree with Sherri's last post about summer jobs. If your teen can't find a paying position, doing volunteer work can be a very positive experience which can lead to opportunities as well.
We like to make a list of all the fun things we would like to do over the summer as well as goals we have for the summer. Everyone in the family participates in making his/her own "list"; then we share these with each other and look for common goals and fun times. Deciding on some things to do together as a family can be a positive experience - and everybody looks forward to those outings. We inspire each other about goals we want to accomplish over the summer.
Have a talk with your teen about vacation and work. Helping him plan his summer can be a good experience for you both.
Dr. Debra
I agree with you 100%. Nothing focuses a person's energy back on school like a summer of menial labor. One of the reasons our parents generation enjoyed school was it was a break from their farm chores. Today, school just keeps kids from playing.
Posted by: David Grimm | 06/02/2011 at 11:33 AM
Hi David,
Thanks for your comment. I remember working every summer and I think work made me appreciate education more.
Posted by: Debra Atkisson | 06/02/2011 at 11:50 PM