How to Engage Your Teens in Summer Planning

How to Engage Your Teens in Summer Planning

As your teen grows older and more responsible, it stands to reason that they should have more agency in terms of choosing what direction to take when planning their summers. Engaging your teen in the summer planning process has several benefits - it teaches the value of proactive planning, helps them think critically about different options, and gets them invested in the experiences they ultimately pursue. But as every parent knows, getting a teen to really take ownership of any process can be easier said than done.

Here are a few ways you can involve your teen in the Summer planning process and ultimately maximize summer success.

Fall Steps to Take for New & Returning Campers

Fall Steps to Take for New & Returning Campers

For parents of campers, or those who are considering sending their children to camp next summer, the Fall is an important time to position your children for summer camp success next year.

While summer may still be many months away, it is a prime season for enrollment and re-enrollment for camps, and so now is the time to start grappling with these important questions to ensure you are on the ball when planning your child’s next summer.

Building on Summer to Prepare For College Success

Building on Summer to Prepare For College Success

Amidst the excitement and anxiety that surrounds a new year of school, it can be easy for students to lose sight of the value of the summer experiences that have defined their last several months. However, as students move forward into another academic year, it's important that summer doesn't just become a blip in the rear-view mirror.

Here's how successful students can build on the experiences they had - and how parents can foster this growth without getting in the way.

The Parent’s Trap: Keys To Fostering Continued Growth After Camp

The Parent’s Trap: Keys To Fostering Continued Growth After Camp

Summer camp is a unique experience in child development. Over the course of several summer weeks, kids make astronomical strides – they become more independent, learn to navigate social situations, and adapt to living in a group environment.

However, parents can unintentionally hinder their child's growth after camp and undo some of the development their children have undergone. Read here to learn how to avoid crucial post-camp pitfalls for parents.

Long-Distance Parenting: 3 Steps to Deal with Summer Issues While Your Child or Teen is Away

Long-Distance Parenting: 3 Steps to Deal with Summer Issues While Your Child or Teen is Away

Summer can be a transformative developmental experience – whether it’s a traditional camp, a pre-college program, or an independent project. A summer experience can help your child or teen learn new hard skills, while also helping them develop the social-emotional skills they’ll need to prepare for the next phase in life, whether that’s 4th grade or Freshman year of college. In short, a summer experience can be hugely impactful in helping kids and teens grow up.

The thing is, growing up is not always easy.  In fact, it rarely is. Growth experiences are challenging by their very nature – it is this challenge, the experience of stepping outside our comfort zones, that fosters and facilitates development. But that doesn’t make it any easier to receive a sad letter home, or a disappointed phone call. So how can you, as a parent, walk the line between advocating for your child while not depriving them of the experience to mature in a meaningful way?

Use The Spring to Plan for Life After Summer

Use The Spring to Plan for Life After Summer

No matter what experience you will pursue this summer, there is one key point to keep in mind as it relates to college admissions - summer is part of a student's larger story. If a student wants their summer to be personally meaningful and impactful in the college admissions process, it should ideally represent one landmark in a journey that will continue next school year. In order to really make summer count, there are certain steps you can take this spring in order to position yourself to build on your summer experience or experiences. 

College Admissions Decisions & Readiness: What About A Gap?

College Admissions Decisions & Readiness: What About A Gap?

College admissions decisions are mostly in, and with every envelope high-school seniors have a better idea of where they're going to be continuing their academic careers. But if a student is academically burned out, or doesn't yet have the college readiness skills that will allow them to thrive independently, a Gap Year might be a great option. This article, by Everything Summer Gap Expert Deborah Lesser Friedman, provides great advice on who a Gap Year might be right for, and what kinds of experiences are beneficial for certain students.