Sh*t Your Teenagers Won’t Tell You What’s the Purpose of Summer?
Welcome to the last episode of season two! Our topic for this week’s episode focuses on how to cultivate and promote your child’s wellness during the summer. And perhaps, while you are at it, how to cultivate your own wellness as a parent, too! We are excited to share some practical realities that can help drive decision-making for the summertime. We kick off with thoughts on the role of summer, the ideal ways to spend it, and a quick what not to do. We further dive into subtopics like the importance of balance, how family values play a role in choosing summertime activities, and why Cathy thinks getting your teenagers outside is imperative! We again touch on why getting kids out of their comfort zone and doing hard things is vital to their sense of self and their future and why a summer job is absolutely not lame. Tune in to hear why we think exposing your kids to differences and the reality of the real world can help set them up for success throughout their lives. Enjoy this last episode; we are excited to be back with more great topics for season three!
Key Points From This Episode:
- [0:01:30] We introduce this week’s topic: cultivating wellness.
- [0:01:57] Meredith shares her thoughts on the role of summer.
- [0:02:30] The ideal way to spend summer; play.
- [0:03:30] A quick what not to do: Cathy calls BS.
- [0:04:44] We make the distinction between the 8th and 12th graders.
- [0:05:20] The importance of balancing out the scale.
- [0:05:43] What Meredith would do as a parent of a teenager going into summer.
- [0:06:25] How family values play a role in planning for summer.
- [0:07:30] Choosing activities for summer and what to take into consideration.
- [0:08:40] Why Cathy loves it when kids go to outdoor camps during summer.
- [0:11:20] Experiencing awe and its impact on mental health.
- [0:12:30] Take your teenagers to a garden (and get them gardening).
- [0:13:00] Summer should be restorative; our brains need to rest.
- [0:15:15] Animals and learning to care for something; learning about a sense of self.
- [0:16:45] Cathy’s advice to parents wondering what their kids should do for the summer.
- [0:18:00] Thoughts on adolescents being wired to be self-centered.
- [0:19:15] Meaningful memories and what they often end up being for teenagers.
- [0:21:00] The importance of doing hard things.
- [0:22:05] What to tell the kids (and their parents) who just aren’t motivated.
- [0:25:23] Pulling the parent card.
- [0:26:53] Why your kids need to be part of a collective.
- [0:27:35] A quick aside about allowance.
- [0:29:00] Why getting a summer job is not lame!
- [0:30:48] Exposing your kids to differences and the reality of the real world.
- [0:34:30] Celebrating different communities and experiences.
- [0:35:45] Experiencing joy by pushing through discomfort (and potentially yucky stuff).
- [0:39:00] Get your kids dirty and teach them to fix things.
- [0:40:45] Have unstructured but connected fun as a family!
- [0:43:20] Our hope for you and your family this summer.
- [0:43:45] A Thanks from us to you!
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS)