Plans Change (Again) 5 Steps to a Teen Summer Routine

I was inspired by Christine Carter, author of “The New Adolescence,” who gave a webinar that emphasized the 5 topic areas of balanced life to guide our summer.

Making plans, meals and decisions all day can be exhausting during a usual summer. Without the usual sports and activities camps this year, we are especially challenged to keep a summer routine. This is what we know for sure…Plan.Change.Plan.Change.Plan.Change. Even those of us who LOVE planning are learning that a plan is merely an idea until it actually happens. Everything is subject to change.

My good friend just told me, “I feel like I’m in a room full of confetti!” Where do I focus, what is a plan, who is doing what, who can go where, and is it safe are all questions we are facing on a daily basis.

Our teens need structure and routine. Human beings need structure and routine to thrive and survive. Hey, even our dogs love their meals at a certain time each day or we get that sad pouty look from them.

How can we plan for summer so we don’t lose our minds? What kind of predictable summer routine can we set up so that our teens have some expectations and stay healthy this summer?

Using the concept of a pizza or pie, helps to visualize five main areas of life balance for teens: physical (sleep, eating, exercise), emotional (something they enjoy), intellectual (reading, math puzzles, test prep), social (human connection with family and friends), and connection (community, contribution, volunteer, chores at home).

In coaching sessions, we go in depth to evaluate areas of success and improvement. For families, try taking these five steps to set up a direction and expectations for your teen to self-evaluate and become proactive in taking care of all aspects of themselves while contributing to the family and community. I’ve attached a simple worksheet to use as a guide. This format is so helpful because it’s a guide, not a set schedule, and therefore it’s adaptable to daily changes.

Click on form to download!

1. Set up a planning session to discuss the five main balance areas and get their input about activities and ways they can hit each area daily (or at least five days a week). I like to call this 5 for 5.
2. Ask your teen to come up with a plan to meet these areas each day. Help them keep the plan general and attainable. We start small to gain confidence and energy by achieving success. We all know how a list of 15 New Year’s Resolutions ends up. If you’re brave, set up a summer routine for yourself as well and share it. Set up privileges for your teen to earn such as additional screen time or seeing their friends.
3. Review the plan weekly and make adjustments as needed. Set up a “no nagging” rule. If you have to remind your teen, then they don’t earn their privilege and additional respect and freedom. The self-confidence and trust in themselves is the ultimate road to independence.
4. Discuss your own challenges in setting balanced life goals. Share certain feelings you have when you don’t follow through with your plan.  Ask your teen for input about how you can try something different to hit your goals. Let the 5 for 5 be the objective plan that you are both striving for, not “parental rules” that they need to struggle against.
5. Most importantly celebrate successes! Being able to plan and follow through for yourself is a crucial life skill. When we teach our kids to trust their commitments to themselves and others, they gain confidence and independence.

Teen Focused Coaching believes in the power of balanced lives to achieve happiness and success. We believe that our world needs people who can contribute, be confident, and be bold. Our teens are just those people. Let’s help them succeed.