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.
This past weekend, we stayed home as our young adults did a weekend with their cousins up at our family cabin. Turns out, it will be the last one before school starts for some of them. We are so lucky to have a place to go to make these memories happen with and for our family. You can do the same things with yours at a local venue or even at your own home.
August’s Theme – Summertime Fun
“In the summer, the days were long, stretching into each other. Out of school, everything was on pause and yet happening at the same time, this collection of weeks when anything was possible.” — Sarah Dessen
When I think back to my summer vacations from school, I remember spending my time in summer softball and marching band practice. I also remember taking vacations with my family to see my grandparents in Washington, DC.
It was time where I was taken out of the structure of a school day and put into more of a slowed down version of life where I could make choices on what I wanted to do before heading back to school.
In this last month of summer vacation, I am going to focus the blog on Summertime fun. Summer isn’t over yet, there is still some time to get a couple more activities in. Check out my mentor page and see how I am doing it Selma P. Verde – Mentor Page
Transition to New Routines
Whether we are ready or not, back to school is right around the corner. As we come off of the relaxing summertime fun, there are things we can start doing now to get the family ready for the routine of the school year.
I found a great article on the Scholastic website called 10 Ways to Make the Switch From Summer to School. It has some great ideas to help our teens and family make this transition maybe a little easier and fun. Here are a couple of their ideas.
Restart Routines
Pull out those alarm clocks and start having your teens practice getting up when they will need to get up to catch the bus or drive themselves to school. Also, start having your family meals at the times that they will be during the school year. This will help the whole family get into the swing of the new school year.
Go Over Ground Rules
During the summer, everyone kind of got to to what they wanted when they wanted. Go over what your expectations are for them as far as when homework needs to be done, what chores will need to be completed and how late can friends be over or be out with friends on school nights. This will help everyone know what the expectations are and be on the same page when the routine of back to school is in full swing again.
Set up a homework area
With your teen’s help, set up a homework area in your home. You may already have an area set up if your teens had to do remote learning in the past. While out picking up final school supplies, let them pick out some new and fresh things for this area. Make sure that it is well lit and free from distractions so they are able to get things done.
Keep Passions in Play
Maybe your teen learned how to play guitar or helps out at the community center with kids programs. If your teen picked up a new hobby or is involved in a new group, try to find a way to keep them involved during the school year. It may mean setting aside a night so they can join a club or having the materials around the house so they can take homework breaks to do it. This is a great way for you to support their development into the activity they decided to take on.
Take a family field trip
Did you make that end of summer bucket list we talked about? If you did, take one of those items and do a quick family outing before school starts. It can be a trip to a baseball game or a day trip to a local museum. If you are into apple picking, you may want to schedule the family outing during the school year when the apples are ready.
Back to school is a family transition
All of the ideas listed above go to the fact that back to school is a family transition. It is more than making sure your kids have the supplies they need and that new outfit to wear, it is about positioning your teens and your family to have a great year. If you need a few more ideas, be sure to check out this article from Scholastic 10 Ways to Make the Switch From Summer to School.
Are you and your family ready for back to school? Let us know how you are doing and what you did in the comments below.
The Way Series is FREE over Labor Day Weekend
Looking for a couple of good reads for your teens?
The Way Series is a coming-of-age series for teens and young adults. It focuses on challenges that teens can face while growing up. The Hard Way is the first book, and it is a relatable story about peer pressure and Shawn’s Way is a relatable story about bullying. These books may help you to start a conversation with your teen about these issues or may give them a story they can read that relates to something they may be facing.
On September 2-5, each of the ebooks in this series will be FREE. Be sure to pick up your copies for the end of summer reads just in time for back to school. It will also give you time to get caught up before book three in the series, The Street’s Way, comes your way in 2023.
Here is a link to my books tab – Selma’s Books. Check it out for more information about this great series for teens and young adults.
