School’s Out for the Summer: Do You Know Where Your Teen Will Be?

All of the stress associated with the school year has begun to dissipate and now is the time for all good teens to break out and use their free time to engage in summertime fun. Do you know what your teen plans to do? Has your teen obtained a summer job, or will he or she spend the entire time at home unsupervised. Do you know where your teen will be?

These are questions most parents face during the summertime. Perhaps both you and your husband work full time, or work at home. Whatever the case may be, your teen has a great deal of free time, which can either be utilized to increase their emotional and educational growth, or to engage in activities which may be the catalyst for potential trouble.

Let’s face it, for some teens the first day of summer is looked upon as a license to run wild with no cares in the world except their own. While every teen needs a few weeks to unwind, if there has been no advanced planning on what your teen can be doing during summertime, the door is open for them to waste time watching TV or playing video games or hooking up with friends and just hanging out at the beach. This is a great conce
for parents who want their teens to increase their physical activity and mental prowess during the summer months in a safe environment.

What can parents do to ensure they are not only aware of where their teen will be, but what they will be doing?

If you are conce
ed about your teen this summer, it’s time to have a serious conversation wherein you set up a series of rules. Here are some tips which may help in this regard:nn· Establish a curfew for your teen, both day and night.n· If you are a working parent, ask your teen what he or she will be doing during the day. Inform your teen that permission is required before they venture out.n· Remain in constant touch with your teen via a cell phone.n· Invited your teen’s friends over for a Saturday barbeque. This will allow you to get to know who your teen hangs out with.n· Set up a routine of chores your teen can help with at home, and for which he or she can earn extra money.n· Plan family outings to museums or places of interest on the weekends.n· Take your teen to the library and choose a number of books to read over the summer. Since this is a requirement of most public schools, encouraging your teen to expand his or knowledge will help them advance in school as well.n· Limit the amount of TV and computer time. Use parental controls, which are part of all Internet service providers.n· If you are a working parent, plan a week’s vacation for the entire family. You can either choose a destination that has a great deal of history, or a place in which the family can spend quality time together and reestablish the family unit.

Summertime for teens can either be a safe, fun-filled experience, or it can be a time where worry is your constant enemy. Open communication with your teen is not only important, but is paramount in continuing parental control over your teen in every facet of their growth. While your teen may not like it now, they will thank you later.