Summer’s Here and School’s Out So, What Now? A Real Talk Guide for Parents of Teens Navigating a Very Different Season
Summer usually arrives like a long-awaited exhale, the kind of breath that comes after final exams, late-night cramming, and hallway goodbyes. It’s a time teens typically look forward to with open arms and big plans: first jobs, sleepaway camps, internships, road trips, and lazy afternoons with friends. But this year? It feels different. Heavier. Unpredictable. For many families, this summer isn’t unfolding the way anyone imagined.
If you're a parent of a teen right now, you might be noticing the mood shift, the energy dip, the restlessness creeping in. With that in mind, here’s a realistic, human-centered guide to help you and your teen find some direction, connection, and meaning during a summer that refuses to play by the old rules.
1.Start by Acknowledging What They’re Feeling (Even If It’s Hard to Hear)
Let’s be honest: Teens have taken a quiet hit over the last few years. Graduations fizzled out into Zoom calls. Summer plans turned into question marks. And right now, they might be feeling anxious, disappointed, emotionally fried — or all of the above.
Your instinct as a parent might be to jump in with solutions. A pep talk. A list of things they “can still do.” But before you go there, pause. Just listen.
Let them vent. Nod. Ask follow-up questions. That really sucks.” Sometimes, the most powerful thing you can do is simply let your teen know you hear them without rushing to fix it. That validation? It builds trust. It tells them you’re on their side.
2. Design a Daily Flow Together (Structure + Freedom = Sanity)
Here’s the deal with teens and structure: they need it, but they’ll resist it if it feels forced.
Instead of building a military-grade schedule, sit down with your teen and co-create a loose, flexible routine. Think of it as a rhythm rather than a rulebook. Set rough expectations for wake-up times, meals, screen limits, and sleep but allow space for late-night creativity or mid-afternoon lounging.
Add movement into each day: a bike ride, a walk with the dog, yoga on the porch. Then brainstorm how they want to fill the rest of the time. Reading? Baking? Editing TikToks? Learning a new skill?
Let boredom happen, too. It’s underrated. In the stillness, imaginations stretch. Passions surface. Sometimes, the best ideas are born from a little aimless wandering.
3. Help Them Pick a Goal Not Just to Stay Busy, But to Feel Inspired
Every teen has something they’ve secretly wanted to try even if they don’t say it out loud. Driving. Coding. Learning Japanese. Writing poetry. Starting a microbusiness on Etsy.
Ask them, “What’s one thing you want to get better at this summer?” Keep it open-ended, judgment-free, and exciting. Help them break it down into bite-sized steps. Provide assistance without taking charge. Building confidence, not micromanaging, is the aim here.
Discuss innovative options if time, money, or access are obstacles. Sometimes all you need is Wi-Fi, a library card, or a notebook and pen to pursue your interest.
4. Discuss Socializing in a Post-Pandemic World in an Open and Specific Way
Though the reality is more nuanced, we all wish we could claim the pandemic is firmly behind us.
Now is the moment to establish your family's social limits for the summer, first with yourself and then with your teen. Is it acceptable for friends to enter the house? Do you wear masks or not? Are sleepovers acceptable? What about shopping visits, beach parties, or concerts held indoors?
Don’t assume they know your expectations. Spell them out. Invite them into the conversation. If you can, explain why some boundaries are non-negotiable, and where there’s room for flexibility. Teens respond better to transparency than to rules that seem arbitrary.
It might help to role-play tricky situations how to say no to a group hang if someone’s feeling sick, how to politely set a boundary, or how to navigate peer pressure with grace.
What This Summer Can Still Be
No, this summer won’t look like the ones we remember with crowded carnivals and bustling sleepaway camps. But it can still be rich. Reflective. Personal.
It can be a season of growth, even in the quiet moments. It can be a time when teens get to know themselves and their families in new ways. And it can be an opportunity for you, as a parent, to step into the role of trusted guide rather than fixer or taskmaster.
Give your teen the space to feel. The tools to plan. And the reassurance that this strange, lopsided summer doesn’t have to be wasted can still bloom.
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