As a child, nothing excited me more than the last day of school before summer vacation. Freedom! Fast forward to now, and the children and teens I work with are just as excited as I was! But, sometimes parents dread the lazy days of summer and for good reason. Idle time can be a recipe for disaster, especially for children and teens with behavioral issues and attention and impulse control difficulties. Many of you probably have your own stories about the “trouble” you got into during the summer when no one was watching. While honoring the wonder and adventure of summer-time exploits, it is imperative that school aged children continue some kind of structured routine. Continue to enforce curfews, bedtimes, and morning alarms, but feel free to modify a bit from the school year schedule and be flexible at times. The Summer is a great time for young people to hone their artistic and athletic abilities and interests through community programs and specialized camp experiences. Maybe rediscover the library and the joy of reading books THEY get to choose!

Continued supervision during the summer is also very important. Know where your kids are, who they are with, and when they’ll be back. Check in periodically during the day with your pre-teens and teens to show you care but also to build trust (or uncover trouble before it gets too far!). Make sure your children know that the basic rules of the household don’t change just because school isn’t in session. Chores and family responsibilities are expected. Children often thrive in structured environments, so do them and yourself a favor by keeping those little (and not so little) hands and minds occupied!