Getting Ready for Summer Break: Tips and Tricks for Teens

Summer break is in a few weeks and if you have teenagers, you are probably wondering how you are going to get through the summer if both you and your significant other are working full time. Teens are different than kids that are younger because they have a lot more going on in their life and most of them are social butterflies. Parents beginning to get stressed out because they are wondering if they should hire someone in case they have trust issues, or leave teens on their own. The life of a teen still needs to have some routine and structure even during summer break. If your teen is old enough, this might be a good time for them to start looking for a job for the summer. Parents can give their teen some good tips when they apply for a job and this will also help build a teen’s confidence.  Just because it’s summer doesn’t mean your teen can’t learn new experiences. Most high schools and middle schools offer classes in the summer for fun for students. Your teen might also be interested in learning a new language or signing for people with hearing problems. Schools offer a variety of summer classes besides remedial ones.

When the school year is up and your teen is ready for summer, they really put in a hard year of school work. It’s ok if they sleep in, watch some TV and play video games for a week or so at first. When they start getting bored, then don’t worry because they will start looking for more creative interests. They might start a project or go hang out on the other side of the town, they know summer is the best time to have a fun time so they are ready for school when summer is over. Here are a few tips and tricks for your teens.

Websites

Ask your teen if they have ever created a website from the ground up with HTML. This might be a good thing to try or building a website not using computer language skills and try their publishing platform with WordPress. There are free videos online for learning how to make their own sites and Youtube is great for learning anything basic like setting up their website.

Teens can write blogs on free blogging platforms using WordPress, Tumblr or Blogger. This is where teens can share different thoughts, writings, pictures, and their own videos. Once a video goes viral and attracts more than 10,000 likes, your teen can earn some money. Your teen can also learn how to incorporate links on their websites and build their own brand. Everything extra a teen learns will help with college and job applications.

Foreign Language

Your teen might be interested in learning a new language for the summer to make friends in other parts of the world. If this is what your teen wants to do, make sure they pick a language that interests them. They can also learn the language online if they don’t feel like being in summer school. There are language apps for learning the basics that your teen can download and work on the lessons on their own time. Teens can also watch videos or movies about the language they are studying to test how they are comprehending. If your teen takes Spanish and knows a family that speaks Spanish, they can go talk to the family and practice speaking their language. The newspaper in your area also will post various cultural opportunities in your community. If there is a movie in Spanish, encourage your teen to go to the movie and tag along if they ask you to.

Cooking

Your teen can take a cooking class to learn new skills. Families are always happy when one of their teens asks if they can cook something they learned in school. You can encourage them to call a community center in the neighborhood and see what the cooking classes they offer entails. Teens can also learn to cook even if they’re not cooking classes available in your community. All families have cookbooks with recipes passed down from many generations. You can suggest that they prepare some meals you remember as wonderful and tasty, let them pick out the ingredients and read the directions. Teens can always look online for some great recipes that are very simple as well and net a great meal that is healthy and tasty.

Sports

Your teen might be into exercise and staying in shape so they might choose to be outside all summer if they are more athletically motivated. Teens that are involved in sports during the school year are more apt to find a sport they enjoy for the summer. If your teen isn’t really involved in sports during the school year, you might suggest biking, swimming, and tennis for them to try in the summer. This will help them stay in shape and increase their confidence. Sports also look wonderful on a college application.

Music and Instruments

Your teen might be ready to try an instrument to learn and learning a musical instrument also helps them increase their self-esteem. Summer is wonderful for taking lessons in guitar, drums, and piano. There are many apps that teach teens how to play these instruments if there are not any music classes going on close by. Sometimes you can hire a music teacher that is looking for extra work for the summer. Teens will learn how to organize their time better and concentrate when they are learning to play an instrument. Just make sure your families summer isn’t packed full of activities before you rent or buy an instrument for your teen. Music does require a lot of practice daily. Teens can still learn to play even if parents can’t afford a private teacher. There are also books and videos on Youtube that are great to view and read so teens can learn the basics of playing a new instrument.

Jobs

Your teen might be old enough to start working because they need money for themselves. Teens can always talk to their guidance counselors at school for information about jobs in the area looking to hire summer help. A counselor also helps them write out a resume. Teens might also ask their parents, relatives and family friends if they know of any good job opportunities for teens during the summer. Teens can also go out and ask businesses that are close by if they are hiring teens for summer jobs. Restaurants and many retail stores usually hire teens for summer break. Teens have to think about applying for jobs for the summer that are fun. If they like swimming, they can always take a lifeguard class when they are 16, and work at a community pool. The pay is normally higher than in retail jobs. If they love animals, pet stores might consider hiring them for summer. All of this looks great on their college applications and future job applications. McDonald’s hire at age 15 and fast food is always looked at as a positive experience for colleges and future jobs because teens learn many skills working in fast food and gaining customer service experience.

These are some good tips and tricks if parents are thinking about what to suggest to their teens for the summer. Some teens already have planned out their summer with a load of positive opportunities because they are organized and go-getters. In addition, some teens need more prodding than others but eventually, they get the picture when they run out of their allowance. Parents should be supportive when your teen tells you they chose a class, job, music, art, etc for the summer. Whatever a teen chooses considering it’s a positive experience will build their confidence and self-esteem. This works really well if you start teaching them when they are young preschoolers because each year builds on what they learned and more mature behavior.