Good Morning! Here’s the Monday Morning Blog!
Did you get a chance to touch base with that teen or young adult in your life last week? Have you been able to spend some time together this summer? Take some time to do so this month before it is time to go back to school and into that routine.
We are lucky that we get to spend time with our young adults at our family cabin. It gives us a great opportunity to be together away from the daily grind we find at home.
August’s Theme – Summertime Fun
How has your summer been going? I am starting to hear the talk of young adults going back to college and parents getting their children and teens ready for back to school. When I hear those words, I know summer is winding down and it is becoming time to move from summer fun to wind up for going back to school.
I hope to hang on to summer a little while longer by talking about what we can do before it is over. Through this month’s posts, I want to find out why summertime is such a special time for us and our teens and young adults.
So come along with me and let’s take it easy and enjoy the last month of summer. Check out my mentor page and see how I am doing it Selma P. Verde – Mentor Page
Did you make memories with your teen this summer?
Summer is often a season of busyness and activity. Even though school activities are at a minimum, many teenagers have summer jobs, sports and camps that take them away from home.
While this is a normal part of growing up, it is vitally important to take time to do activities or trips with your teen before they head back into the hustle and bustle of the school year.
According to Dr. Michael Bradley, a clinical psychologist, “what teenagers do in the summer is much more valuable than in the winter”.
There is still time left to do somethings together as a family or maybe one on one with your teen or young adult. I have some ideas for you listed below.
Ideas for quick outings
Check with your teen or young adult and decide on something fun to do together. It doesn’t have to be expensive or take a lot of time. Spending time together is the point, but if you can do something you both enjoy, it may give you something to build on for conversations and future outings.
Shopping for school clothes and supplies
A day trip to a local attraction
A trip to the beach
Visiting a county fair
Drive in movie
Miniature Golf and ice cream
Bike ride through the park
Grabbing a cup of coffee and reading together in a park
If it has been a busy summer for your family, something low keyed like watching a movie at home or relaxing on the deck may be all that it takes to spend that time together.
Watch and listen to your teen for ideas
Sometimes teens won’t tell us what they want to do when we ask them. So, take the time to watch for things your teen seems to like to do or talks about doing and ask them about doing that with them.
Or, let them plan the activity. This may be a tricky one for you, so be open minded and ready to embrace what they want to do. You may learn about something new, and it will help you learn more about your teen for sure.
Come up with an “End of Summer” bucket list. Check in with your teen and ask them “what one activity could we do that would make your summer complete?”
Any way that you can spend time with your teen and together as a family is a time to make memories and build the relationships that will help carry them through their school years and into adulthood.
We are on summer break, why think about school now?
It is so hard for us and our teens or young adults to start thinking about back to school. Some of us are excited. Parents are ready to get back into a routine and teens and young adults want to be back at school with their friends. Some of us want to continue to hang out on the beach and read a great book.
If you are having a good summer break, you may not be ready for this transition. If it hasn’t been such a good one, you are probably more than ready. If it hasn’t been such a good one, how about trying to do a quick activity with them to see if it can end on a good note?
Let me know what you did with your teen or young adults in the comments below. By listing your idea here, you may give someone else an idea for a way to spend time and make memories with theirs.
The Way Series is great reading for back to school
The Way Series is about the challenges that teens face. Both of the books, The Hard Way and Shawn’s Way, focus on characters and their navigating these challenges while in high school. Click on the link below the photo to get your own copies of this great coming-of-age series.
