Why Teens Need A Break This Summer

Deborah shared a great article recently and we saw that not a ton of people spotted it when we read it ourselves. It’s so important for us to understand that our kids/teens/adolescents are beat. “They have had the psychological workout of their lives” was how the author stated what the pandemic has put our youth through, and we personally concur, she was spot on. So, how they spend their summer is a great thing to consider right at this moment.
The author is a psychologist for teens, for the last 2 decades. She’s never seen kids so worn down at the end of a school year the way they are now.
Her suggestions aren’t to recover lost ground or to put the last year behind them….she distinctly suggests that young people can enjoy the payoff of converting that experience into increased maturity and psychological strength.
Consider utilizing her ideas to help your child/teen segue through Summer & enjoy increased emotional resilience by the fall school year:
1) Give them room to process what they’ve been through. There is a grief type of feeling they may be having that needs to be worked through and not ignored.
2) Be open to negotiating with them the ‘Must-Do’s’. Generally, we suggest a part-time job, catch up on reading, maybe some extra chores. Let your child, when possible, have some say in the details.
3) Don’t let guilt ruin restoration…they may feel a bit guilty doing nothing this Summer since they felt they did a lot of nothing this last year. Somethings nothing is very restorative…as we all know.
Her final words are excellent:
“There aren’t many upsides to having a virus wreak havoc with one’s adolescence, but on that very short list might be coming to appreciate the growth-giving practice of following stressful periods with deliberate recovery. This may be especially true at this moment in time, and it’s also how we want young people to be thinking about stress, recovery and growth long after the pandemic is over.”
Straightening Reins is a 501(c)(3) public nonprofit established in 2011 specializing in equine-assisted and interactive therapies designed to improve adolescent and teen mental health and well-being. SRD provides behavioral, educational, and community outreach services to youth and their families in Los Angeles County.
If your child is going through mental health problems contact SRD Straightening Reins at 661-803-1641 or go to www.srdstraighteningreins.org.