It’s June – Do you celebrate or do you panic?

If you’re anything like me, there are certain months of the year that bring on some discomfort (I won’t say stress, but it’s pretty darned close). June is one of those months of the year that my heart does both flutter with joy and freak out about the seemingly looong summer ahead. What are the kids going to do all summer? I don’t have to panic about camp bookings, but what do you do with a high school kid allll summer so he / she doesn’t drive a parent crazy?

After speaking with a lot of Moms over the years about this dilemma there seem to be basically three options for the teen years. 1. a job; 2. summer school, and 3. training and tournaments if you have a dedicated athlete.

Let’s look at the summer as a learning opportunity for them, regardless of whether they are working, camping, summer schooling or training. This may narrow our scope, help them create a great new kind of summer experience for them, and keep the panic to a minimum for us. (wink wink)

Teenagers – a job, summer school or athletic training?

 JOB – yep, j-o-b. You heard it here my son, you’ll be getting a job this summer, so let’s talk about what you might be good at thereby making you employable. We are supporting the job search, but not finding one for them. We help them put together a resumé. Moms, a piece of advice… start a resumé now, or even a list that you save and can keep adding to. Years will pass and you will forget. List their accomplishments – being on the academy soccer team, captain of the City Champs water polo team, having their life saving certification, a babysitting course, volunteer work, lawn mowing experience, hockey coach, gifted artistically, won the citizenship award, on the Honour Roll at school. All of these details tell the interviewer a lot about your child. Their interests, dedication, team player or more independent, good with children, responsible, and so much more. Once they start receiving those paycheques, they will always want to have a job. 

SUMMER SCHOOL – so here’s the deal with summer school… some have to, and some want to, or at least are mature enough to see the wisdom in it. It’s as simple as that. You fail a credit, you’re in summer school so you don’t get behind. The other option is taking a night school course on top of all your regular classes next year (sounds like fun, eh?). Believe me, summer school is the way to go. Juggling too many credits is just a recipe for disaster, and I find my kids did so much better when they only had one subject to deal with at a time. All three of mine have done high school summer credits to get ahead (and for different reasons), and it has been a great decision. My youngest for example hates (and I do mean hates, English). So here’s the choice – English for 10 months, or English for 1 month. Kind of a no-brainer, isn’t it? The Toronto District School Board offers free online credits that last one month. Alternatively, you can find summer school in the private sector (or alternative schools) that offer summer courses which then get transferred to your school. Note: some private schools have very strict rules about taking summer school credits outside of the school, so be sure to look into this beforehand. 

ATHLETES – as always our elite athletes are a whole other set of circumstances, mostly because they are super dedicated, passionate and driven to get to a higher level in their sport. And because they literally have no control over their schedule especially if it is a team sport. This kid deserves kudos just for being so young but mature, busy and dedicated to their sport and school needing to get done too. As Moms we know that this child will have a crazy schedule even more intense than during the school year likely. They will also need to eat more and sleep more, and you will be driving more. It’s a lot. However, if they are able, I would still recommend trying to get a school credit out of the way. Perhaps one of the time consuming ones (math, science, English, etc) as it can help lighten their load during the school year allowing them to do a bit better on all their other courses. Having said that, even an “easier” required credit is good to get out of the way.  A little planning could even help them get into the university of their choice, or even a scholarship.

ANY ADVICE? – Do any of you have additional advice for Moms at the beginning or in the middle of this journey? Please share in our private facebook page. Join us. Let’s share our experience and wisdom. Hindsight is, after all, 20/20.

The importance of some time to just chillax together!

The summers can be very long and exhausting, or if planned out can be an amazing memory-making time. No matter what your teens do this summer, don’t forget that they need a break too. So make sure you plan a Saturday road trip, or a fabulous Sunday of rollercoasters, hit a great new hiking or biking trail, find a DIY project you can do together in your spare time. Let them make some memories too. After all, summer is the best time of year for a lot of outdoor fun and friends, free of the usual responsibilities. Some careful planning is all we need. Let them get some extra rest both mentally and physically over the summer. They are, after all, still growing. 

And while you’re trying to make sure they are getting all they need for a great summer, make sure you do likewise for yourself. A less stressed Mom is way more fun to be around, so you make sure to let go of some stuff too. You know, those Mom-nagging things we have to do from September to June? Ya, those. UGH! Summer is a great time to reconnect with our children, remind them how much we love them, and how proud we are of them. Here’s to growing a new bond with our children, making some great memories, and recharging everyone’s batteries before September gets here. Enjoy this time with them!

July brings the start of our Self Care Quarter. I’m so excited!

Here at The Cove Global our mission is to save Moms time, simply because time is so valuable. You can’t buy it, borrow it, rent it or steal it. So less wasted time means more time to spend making memories with the munchkins, more time on well earned and much needed self care, or more time building your business that you have put your heart and soul (and money) into. Keep track of your time, take back some time, and make great use of it for your benefit. Sounds like another great goal for 2022!

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Time to get outside, open your arms, close your eyes and let the gorgeous sunshine help you and your children grow. 

From your Cove Team Moms,
Athena, Aleka, Michele & Heidi 

❤