NANA SAYS YOUNG TEENS VARY ON HOW TO SPEND THE SUMMER

Watching an early morning show, young teens- those between summer jobs and needing a babysitter- were interviewed about what they are doing for the summer. Many said trying to relax as the school year is very demanding and stressful. Others were at summer school trying to get a heads up on the coming school year. The teens that were taking it easy caught my attention. To allow oneself the luxury of chilling and enjoying life is important. I remember many memorable days swimming, canoeing or hiking to pass the time. Think about it was busy work- real exercise and exploring. As long as one is not glued to the cell phone or to the TV as was the case when I was younger. Out riding the bike or skate board are real activities even though they do not seem productive like studying but the coordination and exploring of the world can inspire children. The exercise and building muscle will last a lifetime.  Oh yes there are math, computer and science camps for those who think they need them. But science and math are around us in the real world. Finding bugs or leaves or going to a farm seeing how food grows are valuable life lessons for children. Watching planes take off and land near the airport can be interesting too. The question about how does flight occur. Hiking can reveal birds, little and big animals. Swimming may reveal fish and other creatures that live near the water. Sunrise and sunset can reveal clouds and weather conditions. Of course changes in weather teach us about tornadoes and hurricanes and other weather patterns-good and bad. Having a pile of books, magazines or even comics for the teens to read is good. My older daughter starting reading Archie Digests before evolving to novels in her teens. Giving teens some chores to do while home can be helpful to working parents. Boredom does occur but it can lead to some creativity as well. If you are bored then get going! Everyone is different and needs to spend the summer as needed. Looking back and having the time to have a slow and easy summer seems like a luxury now. Taking a week off and trying to cram so much in it does not seem valuable. Maybe this Nana can learn to slow down like some of those young teens and really smell the roses.