Worried about your teen this summer?

Here's our advice for entertaining teens this summer

Summer means freedom; no more timetables or early mornings - no more teachers and parents checking homework or keeping an eye on bedtime clock. Finally, kids can relax and catch up with all the things they and parents missed out on all term, and breath a sigh of relief from the commotion of modern life.

Remember the time before mobile phones, internet and helicopter parenting? When summers meant adventures around the neighbourhood, or running wild in nearby parks or fields? Or when the only time you ‘checked in’ was by turning up starving and filthy at dinner time; chances are your memories of summertime will differ from that of your teen.

With technologies keeping teens occupied and stationary, changes in parenting, busier and less communal neighbourhoods, and the apprehension of threat and worry, summer time and ‘freedom’ for your teens will guarantee a headache for parents when the schools are out.

Should I worry?

Younger teens can seem too old to be cared for at home by a minder if you're out working. Older teens can enjoy jobs (if they can find one!) or mixing with friends, and the best part (in their opinion), getting away from their parents.

But in many families, with busy parents working during the summer months, there is an inevitable period when your kids may be alone for a proportion of the day, and with that, a sinking feeling that your innocent darlings are most likely up to something they shouldn't be.

Having trustworthy little angels who dare not upset their parents is unusual. Most of the time any kid will get up to some mischief if left alone for long enough. So what to do?

Balance

If your teen is mature, his/ her friends seem trustworthy and you’re confident that he or she will be okay for few hours alone then you shouldn't worry. Some younger teens can be more mature than some 18 year old school leavers! Maybe it's time to give them that trust and freedom to learn independence? However, if your concern is real and you feel they need at least some supervision then it’s better to strike a balance with childcare.

How we trust our children greatly depends on how we understand their point of view. Even kids as young as 13 years will want to have their own version of freedom, and will expect certain trust from their folks.

It is important to let them have their downtime, and for them to be able to communicate how they would like to spend their free time. Strike up a deal that you will allow certain freedoms in exchange for full trust to remain intact. Ensure they understand they need to be honest and available through their own mobile phone or their friends'.

Summer Survival Tips

Know where your children are and know their friends’ parents. Parents who share values around issues such as drugs, alcohol and dating can provide mutual support
Young teenagers tend to sleep late and become active in the evening. They won’t be occupied with homework as they are during the school year. Be prepared to come home from work and spend some fun, active time with the children.
Share supervision with other parents. It takes some organisation, but parents living in an area can agree to take turns supervising each others children in the afternoons.
If your children are heading out and about to meet friends, remind them of the importance of respecting others around them.
When considering an activity or camp as an option, ask the camp management about the supervision they offer.

There are quite a few camps for teens available. For those who can’t afford to pay for a camp or want their teens closer to home, another option could be to stagger parent summer work hours to keep one parent home at some point during the day or get together with other parents and offer teen-sitting services.

Lastly, a busy teen with plenty of interest, friends and activities won't have time to be bored, but will also want to spend time with their equally busy parent this summer. Listening to your teen, taking an active involvement with his/her interests and hobbies, even if you don’t understand them, will make the summer more enjoyable for you both.

Check out these teen camps happening around Ireland this summer