Mentoring Sons to a Successful Summer

Jun 3, 2021

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While summer is a time for rest and relaxation, it is also an opportunity for personal growth. Indeed, the increase in external freedom, which the summer months often afford our sons, provides an occasion for growth in interior freedom.

In this week's episode, Mr. Joe Cardenas, head of mentoring at The Heights School, discusses how you can help your son make the most of the summer months. To this end, Mr. Cardenas suggests looking at the summer from two perspectives: the bird's eye view and the daily routine. Looking over the summer as a whole--perhaps with a calendar in hand--we can help our sons set goals and make big-picture plans. But goals without effective systems are mere wishes, so we should also encourage our sons to develop a good daily routine that will help him to realize these goals.

In particular, Mr. Cardenas suggests five areas for routines:

Waking-up and going to bed
Reading
Life of prayer
Physical exercise
Acts of service

Of course, and as always, encouragement should come in the context of freedom and in an age appropriate manner; we want to help our sons set goals and formulate routines for themselves, not impose our own ideas in an overly rigid manner. One of the great advantages of the summer is, after all, the opportunity for our boys to grow in the use of their freedom.

Stay tuned after the podcast for a few other resources that might be helpful as you plan your summer, including a summer-planning guide PDF now available on The Heights Forum. You don't need to subscribe to anything to get it, we just want to help.

Also, join us for a follow-up Q&A webinar with Mr. Joe Cardenas and Mr. Bill Dardis (head of the Heights Internship Program). If you have questions about wake-up times, summer jobs, and chores, bring 'em by and we'll discuss. To register for the webinar, visit HeightsForum.org.

Show Highlights

-How summer can be a time of great personal growth

-Two perspectives on the summer: the birds eye view and the daily routine

-Ideas on helping your son make use of a calendar

-Why increased freedom during the summer is an opportunity for growth in virtue

-The importance of systems for success, not just goals

-Areas for daily routines: wake-up time, reading plan, life of prayer, physical exercise, service, bed-time

-How should parents discuss goals and routines with their son?

-Three ways to help your son develop a summer routine: know your son, engage his freedom, share your own goals

-Should my son get a job?

-Unstructured free time is just as important for older boys as it is for younger boys

-Why personal growth is ultimately oriented towards the service of others