How to Engage Teens and Tweens
Brainstorm Interests, Activities and Opportunities
How do I help my teen plan for a productive yet engaging summer?
Do you know how some teens look forward to summer? It seems that starting around daylight savings time, they begin living for the time when school is out. We believe the summer months “could be” as educational as the regular school year. Engaging teens during the summer is key to their sanity and yours as a parent. Here are some things parents can do in the weeks leading up to summer break.
1. Do your homework
Teens have spent the past nine months of the school year researching, studying and completing homework assignments. Now it’s your turn. Pull out a calendar, preferably one that shows the entire month at a glance. Begin by filling in the events and activities you have already scheduled. Include everything from vacations to sports competitions. How much time is left to plan for?
2. Brainstorm
Take five minutes to create a list of activities you think your teen would enjoy. Do you notice any patterns in the activities you listed? Does your teen enjoy the outdoors rather than in indoor activities? Has volunteering time in the community been a past interest? Does he seem to prefer individual activities or group settings?
3. Narrow the list
Armed with a better sense of who your teen is and the types of activities he prefers you can more efficiently filter out opportunities that don’t fit his interests. Your goal at this stage of the planning process is to create a list of 10-12 ideas to share with your teen:
- Start with the newspaper or your city’s summer activity guide, adding activities to your list that might be of interest to your teen.
- Next consider the wide range of volunteer and internship opportunities. Are their businesses within walking distance from your home that might need occasional assistance? Drop by and talk with a few business owners to inquire about their need for occasional volunteer assistance or a summer internship. Most high schools require a minimum of 60 community service hours to graduate. Recording a few hours every summer will help make this goal attainable.
- Beyond volunteering consider contacting your local community service organization or church about day trips or weekend expeditions to nearby destinations. Typically, adults who enjoy mentoring teens staff these short treks. Look for a staff to teen ratio of 1:10 or better. Even the most qualified staff can be challenged when the number of teens becomes too great.
- Consider adding mentoring opportunities to your research agenda. Most cities have a big brother/big sister program connecting teens and younger children in structured mentoring activities. Generally, teens rise to the occasion when asked to provide guidance for younger children.
What’s Next
Continue adding to your list as you find new and potentially engaging opportunities. Put a date on the calendar, preferably in April or May, to talk with your teen about planning for the summer months. The sooner you plan this meeting the more time you both have to seek out activities and plan for a productive and engaging summer.
Find more information about engaging teens during the summer here.
