how to your teen`s summer how to your teen`s summer

for parents
HOW TO
SURVIVE
YOUR
TEEN’S
SUMMER
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www.yourteenmag.com
Your Teen Media provides parenting advice for parents of teenagers.
To order a subscription of the quarterly print magazine, go to www.yourteenmag.com.
For more information, contact editor@yourteenmag.com.
HOW TO
SURVIVE
YOUR
TEEN’S
SUMMER
For most, neighborhood friends are a thing
of the past, and today’s June Cleaver works
outside the home. These changes and more
leave parents worried about the possible
dangers of an unsupervised summer.
Yet, parents and teens have competing
interests. Teens are free from school and
looking for carefree fun, while parents
are concerned about the emotional and
physical safety of their teens.
Parents recognize the value of summer
vacation; especially after a school year
filled with stress, heavy schedules and
sleep deprivation. But adults don’t want
their kids sleeping until noon, spending
endless hours in front of a screen or
hanging out at an unsupervised house.
Here are some tips to help create a
peaceful summer for your teenager
(and you).
1. Know your teen’s ability to assess risk
Kids who worry about getting caught (“Can
I get away with this?”) tend to take greater
risks. On the other hand, kids who consider
the danger of their behavior (“What could
happen if I do this?”) are generally more
cautious. As the parent, your job is to
assess whether your teen can fill free time
constructively or whether your teen would
benefit from more structure to keep your
child out of trouble.
2. Help plan a positive summer experience
Parents can assist in the research for
summer options, but both the parent and
the teen must remain open to compromise.
Find an opportunity that is agreeable to
both of you.
3. Encourage some schedule
If your overachieving teen lobbies for a
summer of absolutely nothing, you may
see summer as her time to de-stress. But
most teens benefit most from a balance
of scheduled activities and leisure. Teens
need to have somewhere to be each day in
order to create some structure.
Your Teen Media provides parenting advice for parents of teenagers. To order a subscription of the quarterly
print magazine, go to www.yourteenmag.com. For more information, contact editor@yourteenmag.com.
4. Discuss appropriate behavior in the
event of an encounter with police
Teens don’t necessarily know this – it is
important to be polite to law enforcement
and to own up to your behavior. If you
are insolent, you will get in more trouble.
Attitude really matters. And, don’t ever
run away.
5. Consider safety first
Trauma-related emergency room visits
also increase once school ends. The most
common cause of injury is vehicle-related:
cars, motorized vehicles and lawnmowers.
Make sure your teen is ready to operate a
vehicle without adult supervision.
If all else fails in your best-laid attempts to
plan a perfect summer for your teen, rely on
your parental instincts. If your teen asks to
do something that sets off alarms in your
head, follow the advice you’d give your teen
and just say no. The best gift you can give
your kid is the ability to blame all their good
behavior on you.
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SUGGESTIONS
FOR SUMMER
1. Work
Working during the summer is a wonderful
opportunity to make money and show
independence. Speak with your guidance
counselor for suggestions, google summer
internships, and apply to online startups
where you will have the opportunity to learn a
lot. Myfirstpaycheck.com, Wetfeet.com.
4. Find a Travel Program
There are so many travel opportunities that
will expand your teenager’s perspective on
the world. Many programs have scholarship
money. Internabroad.com, Studyabroad.
com, Whatkidscando.org, national
geographic student expeditions, Global
Leadership Adventures.
2. Become an Entrepreneur
If you are not finding any paid work and you
need to make money, consider starting your
own business. Identify a need, research
pricing, advertise and go for it. You can
start a camp, mow lawns, do yard work,
babysit, or invent the next big app.
5. Start A Blog
Start your own blog about an industry that
you want to get into. Research the industry,
read articles, learn about trends and then
write about what you are learning. Create a
name for yourself.
3. Volunteer
Tutor a kid, volunteer at local youth sports
leagues or volunteer at an animal shelter.
Internships.com.
9. Find Self-Help Summer Programs
Depending on your teen’s specific needs,
you can check out therapeutic wilderness
programs, Weight-loss programs, ADHD
camps.
10. Register For a Local Camp
Look for local camps that offer academic
or enrichment programs. Take a class this
summer that makes you smarter, lets you
try something new or gets you ready for
the fall.
6. Look For Summer College Programs
Take courses at a local community college
or travel to a college for a pre-college
summer program. These programs
expose high school students to a college
environment where they learn about
themselves and the world. Search online
for high school summer programs at
colleges. Petersons.com.
7. Learn a New Skill or Set a Personal
Challenge
Take training classes in CPR and First Aid,
Lifeguarding or Yoga teacher training.
Train for a 5K or even a marathon, read for
pleasure or explore the hidden treasures of
your city.
8. Pursue A Passion
For example, if you like to write, here are
some suggestions. Take a course about
writing, practice creative writing at home,
be a correspondent for a local paper, help
a young neighbor learn to read or write or
volunteer at a summer school.
Your Teen Media provides parenting advice for parents of teenagers. To order a subscription of the quarterly
print magazine, go to www.yourteenmag.com. For more information, contact editor@yourteenmag.com.
www.yourteenmag.com
Sponsored by:
for parents
SUGGESTIONS FOR
SUMMER READING
Middle School
A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park
Gunfire tears through a classroom in 1985.
Eleven-year-old Salva flees and becomes
one of the “lost boys” of Sudan, wandering
Africa in search of refuge and his family.
Choppy Socky Blues by Ed Briant
Fourteen-year-old Jason is the only kid in
his English seaside town not impressed
with his movie stuntman, karate expert
father, who he considers to be a top-ranking
creep. Jason’s plan to be a non-creep goes
well until he meets the beautiful Tinga.
Great Call of China by Cynthea Liu
Cece’s parents adopted her from China
when she was very young. Now she has a
chance to go to Xi’an, China to learn about
anthropology and her Chinese ancestry.
Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus
In 1841, fourteen-year-old Manjiro and
his companions are shipwrecked. When
rescued by American whalers, Manjiro
becomes the first Japanese person to visit
the United States.
Pies & Prejudice by Heather Vogel
Frederick
When Emma and her family move to
England just before her freshman year, her
book club friends ‘cook up’ an elaborate
scheme to bring her back home.
When the Snow Fell by Henning Mankell
Joel becomes a local hero when he saves
an old man from freezing to death in the
woods of Northern Sweden. But his new
found fame isn’t enough to keep him from
working on his resolutions to become
strong enough to live to 100, to move closer
to the ocean, and to have a close encounter
with a real-live girl!
High School
A Time of Miracles by Anne-Laure Bondoux
Blaise is heartened by tales about his grand
origins of being rescued from a terrible
train wreck near an orchard in the Republic
of Georgia. But the truth he discovers
during a perilous five-year escape journey
to France is even more extraordinary.
Boys, Bears, and a Serious Pair of Hiking
Boots by Abby McDonald
Jenna has her heart set on spending the
summer supporting environmental issues
in her work with Earth Now, but ends up
in Canada with her godmother Susie. She
is SO not prepared for the wild outdoors,
Susie’s moody stepdaughter or the
complicated lives of three cute boys!
Girl at Sea by Maureen Johnson
Seventeen-year-old Clio is upset when
she learns that she will have to spend her
summer on board a yacht in Italy with her
scientist father and his archaeologist
girlfriend on a secret mission…that is
until she meets their cute young assistant,
Aidan.
Last Great Getaway of the Water Balloon
Boys by Scott William Carter
Jake saves his ex-best friend Charlie from a
beating when he pulls up in their principal’s
bright red ’67 Mustang. Now Charlie and
Jake are off on a thousand mile road trip
that ends in a courtroom far from home.
No and Me by Delphine de Vigan
Thirteen-year-old Lou meets No in a Paris
train station while researching a class
project on homelessness. She wants to
help, but saving No is harder than Lou ever
imagined.
Ruby Notebook by Laura Resau
Zeeta and her mom have lived in 16
countries in 16 years. When they land in
beautiful Aix en Provence, France she finds
herself surrounded by other gypsies, hot
springs and secret admirers...
Stolen by Lucy Christopher
Sixteen-year-old Gemma wakes up in the
Australian Outback after being kidnapped
from the Bangkok airport by a captor who
seems strangely familiar.
Celia Huffman
Youth Services Manager
Cuyahoga County Public Library in Ohio
Your Teen Media provides parenting advice for parents of teenagers. To order a subscription of the quarterly
print magazine, go to www.yourteenmag.com. For more information, contact editor@yourteenmag.com.
www.yourteenmag.com
Sponsored by:
for parents
INTERVIEWING
ETIQUETTE
What to wear
Have several outfits prepared. Keep
in mind that most companies prefer
conservative dress. Avoid low-cut tops,
miniskirts, baggy/saggy pants, tennis
shoes and flip-flops. Also, cover tattoos,
and remove piercings. The employer has
every right to hire someone they feel will
“fit” in the company culture, so make sure
your appearance fits.
Preparation
• Have answers to common questions (i.e.
what are your strengths, weaknesses,
goals; why you want the job; why you
should be hired; what you can offer) .
• Conducting a mock interview and
considering feedback from an adult can
boost your confidence and help you avoid
hesitating while answering.
• Draw on your experiences: If you do not
have work experience, use positive school
experiences to support your application.
• Research: Employers appreciate a
candidate who took the time to learn
about their business. Your extra work will
make you better equipped to talk about
the company.
• Have targeted questions to ask about the
company, the job and the industry. General
questions are also good; for example,
“What will I need to do to be successful in
this job?”
What to bring
• A portfolio including a résumé,
references, and a list of achievements
• A tablet for note-taking
• Black and blue pens and a pencil
• A “practice” application so you can easily
transfer commonly asked information
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Reminders
• Teens must go alone.
• Turn off cell phones or leave them
in the car.
• Discard chewing gum. It is distracting,
and it can obstruct one’s speech.
• Parents should not call employers to set
up interviews or respond to employers’
calls. This interference inadvertently
makes the teen look lazy and turns off
employers.
• Always follow up with an e-mail or a
thank-you note the next day (even if you
do not want the job). Be sure to recap
the job you are applying for, reiterate
your interest and include your contact
information (phone and e-mail).
Your Teen Media provides parenting advice for parents of teenagers.
To order a subscription of the quarterly print magazine,
go to www.yourteenmag.com. For more information, contact
editor@yourteenmag.com.
www.yourteenmag.com
Sponsored by:
for parents
“
“
WHAT ARE YOUR TEEN’S
PLANS FOR THE SUMMER?
I’m going on the Cleveland Orchestra
Youth Orchestra tour to the Czech
Republic and Austria. Then I am working as
a camp counselor.
– Hayley, 18
I am working as a tennis instructor at
several different camps and playing on a
league tennis team.
– Alison, 18
I’m gong on a road trip to Florida, going to
Hilton Head with my family, and working
the rest of the summer at an engineering
firm.
– Kristen, 18
I’m working at summer camp for seven
weeks and then heading off to college.
– Terah, 18
I’m a nanny for two families this summer:
a set of twins and then a little boy and a
baby girl.
– Erin, 18
Watching Netflix, playing some ball, chillin’,
maybe working. Who knows…
– Christian, 17
Doing two theater shows, going to Kiawah
Island, and working.
– Maddie, 16
I’m going on vacation with my family,
working at a camp for one week. Most
likely crew stuff and maybe working for
the rest of the summer.
– Patrick, 16
I’m going to a camp at my school. My
family is joining a gym, so I’ll be working
out a lot too.
– Naomi, 13
Working!!! And relaxing, but mostly
working.
– Mariel, 17
Road tripping with my family, working,
soccer practice and visiting my old
neighborhood.
– Tobias, 15
Over the summer I plan on working at my
friend’s party center, along with hopefully
lifeguarding at one of the pools in the area.
When I’m not working I’ll probably do some
SAT prep and hang out with friends.
– Morgan, 16
I will be a hostess at a wine bar.
– Alexandra, 17
“
“
Your Teen asked teens to share their summer plans.
I’m a nanny for a little girl the entire
summer. I worked at Osh Kosh during the
spring but then quit for the summer to
nanny. I’m going back in the fall.
– Jessi, 16
I will work at a party center and lifeguard.
When I’m not working, I’ll probably do
some SAT prep and hang out with friends.
– Morgan, 17
Your Teen Media provides parenting advice for parents of teenagers. To order a subscription of the quarterly
print magazine, go to www.yourteenmag.com. For more information, contact editor@yourteenmag.com.
www.yourteenmag.com
Sponsored by:
for parents
HOW DO YOU
CREATE FAMILY TIME
DURING THE SUMMER?
Your Teen asked parents to share their secrets for carving
out family time in the summer.
• We go to church more. We eat outside,
which slows everyone down. We sleep
in and wake up later, and often we make
breakfast together. And we try to take one
trip together. – Kathie
• We value dinner together and we try to
do that whenever possible. I get tickets
for us to go to at least one Brewer’s game.
I find it challenging because as a parent
you want to respect their time with
friends or just relaxing by themselves,
but I know they will gone in a couple of
years and I want to spend time as a family
too. But I don’t want to fight with them to
do something together, knowing they’d
rather be somewhere else – that kind of
takes the fun out of it. – Kathleen
• We try to do things that take advantage of
being active and outdoors in the summers.
We all go to the gym followed by dinner
together. Also, we try to do an afternoon
canoe trip. – Lori
• Early on a weekend morning, we grab the
dogs and heads out to a park. Attendance
is mandatory and all electronics are
prohibited. It gives all of us a chance to
“look up,” get our heads away from our
cell phones and computers, enjoy nature
and have real conversations. There may
be (and usually is) grousing from the girls
about getting up so early, but we always
have a good time once we get there.
Another thing we do is have big family
breakfasts on the weekend. After a lot of
frustration over trying to get everyone
together for family dinner, I realized
we could just as easily connect in the
mornings. – Jane
• Walk our dog together, ride bikes, grill
out and then hang out outside watching
the stars, walking to get ice cream after
dinner, going to Chautauqua. Snuggle on
the couch and watch a movie. – Julie
• We try to go out together on Sundays,
but often the big kids don’t like what the
little kids like. We have a 16 year time span
in their ages, so it’s tough. Every now and
then we make everyone go to the park for
a picnic, amid many complaints. But then
they like it anyway. Mostly we just make
peace with less of family time. - Ruchi
• On a clear evening, grab a blanket and
head over to the outdoor fields for
stargazing. It is the best. - Jill
• We always do a family camping weekend
during the summer, a great escape in the
beautiful state of Oregon. I reserve the
campsite six months in advance so it is on
the summer calendar! – Lee
• I take my children for a day trip to a State
Park. We rent a boat, hang on the water
and just enjoy each other. On the way back
we stop at the Drive-In Theater. – Renee
• We take a road trip to visit family. Over
the years, we explore different places
along the way and now have certain family
favorites that become a must stop.
– Deborah
• We eat outside every night that we can. It
has a more relaxed and slower pace and
feels like a vacation. And the food just
tastes better when we aren’t confined
inside. – Jessica
• We walk to the local ice cream parlor.
If the kids want ice cream, they have to
come along on the walk. – Ellen
Your Teen Media provides parenting advice for parents of teenagers.
To order a subscription of the quarterly print magazine, go to www.yourteenmag.com.
For more information, contact editor@yourteenmag.com.
www.yourteenmag.com
Sponsored by:
for parents