[5] What should your teen do in the summer holidays?

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

With the summer holidays upon us you might be wondering exactly what your teen should be doing for the next six weeks. Should they be chilling out and building their stamina for the academic year ahead, or should they carry on studying to ensure their success once they go back to school?

In this solo episode of The School Success Formula I give you my views on this question.

What should your teen do in the summer holidays?

1. Rest

The school year is really packed and high paced and for students in exam years the summer is about the only time of year that they can really kick back and relax. October half-term can also be quite restful, but ambitious students will need to be revising through all the other holidays during the school year. So, take the summer holiday to build stamina for the coming school year.

2. Explore their passions and interests

Summer is the time of year where there is time and space to explore interests and passions. It's a great time for our young people to understand what make feeds their souls and what makes them tick. When I was at school I loved to sew and knit in the school holidays, and at the weekends, and it's something that I go to now when I want to get back to basics and reconnect with myself.

3. Read

Reading is crucial for academic success. If your child does nothing else towards their studies during the school holiday they should be doing this. That's because far too many students are held back by their poor reading skills and comprehension in exams and the only way they can improve is by reading.

Reading is also essential for preparing for UCAS personal statements. You can learn more about that in this blog post and this facebook live.

4. Move

I'm not going to talk about exercise, I'm going to talk about movement because moving your body should be joyful and playful, especially in the summer. Movement could be having a kick around in the park with their mates, swimming at the local lido or walking/ cycling / running around the local area.

5. Homework

Hopefully, your child's school hasn't set too much homework for the holidays. However much has be set make a plan to get it done and out of the way so the holidays can be enjoyed to their full potential.

6. Work experience

I've recently done a facebook live (which you can watch here) about work experience and personal statements. I've also got a blog post about it. Use the summer holidays to do work experience so that your son or daughter can find out if they really want to pursue the career option they have in mind or if they need to look at other options. As my mentor, Marie Forleo, says, “Clarity comes from engagement, not thought.”

7. Family and friends

Use the extended period of the summer holidays to spend quality time with family or friends who live further afield.

Useful links

My book, The Ten Step Guide to Acing Every Exam You Ever Take.

Ten Steps to Exam Success download.

Supportive Parents, Successful Students facebook group

Lucy on twitter: @LucyCParsons

Contact Lucy by email: lucy@lifemoreextraordinary.com

If you’d like to suggest yourself as a guest for the podcast, please complete this form.