summer readiness

You've almost made it. You've worked hard all year, you're in the home stretch, and it's almost time to breathe easy. But even though the end is near, the last few weeks of school can be tough. There are finals and benchmark testing in the classroom. At home, parents are scrambling to finalize summer schedules. Camp? Childcare? Trips? Mom & Dad's work schedule? 

Then there's the worry about what's going to happen to your social life come summer. Sometimes tweens worry that their friendships will change or that friends will move on from them over the summer. Maybe you've wondered if your group of friends will still hang out come fall. Three months might not sound like a long time to parents, but in the life of a middle- or high-schooler it can feel like eternity!

While tweens and teens are often ready for school to end by about Spring Break, there are often mixed emotions about what the time off really means. It's normal to worry about whether you'll feel lonely or whether you'll have enough time to see your friends. It's normal to wonder about how those friendships might change when you don't see each other all day, every day. 

One way to deal with the worry is to talk about it with a friend, with an older sibling or family friend, or even with Mom & Dad. Sometimes it's a relief just to acknowledge the feelings. When you talk about it, you can also begin to formulate a strategy for how to ward off loneliness, boredom or friends being out of town over the summer. Create a list of things you can do on your own and enlist your friends to help come up with great ideas. 

Don't forget to stay active! After school lets out, it's easy to turn on the TV pr computer and play video games or watch shows all day long. But too much tube time is a recipe for boredom. Plan some time into each day for getting outside, moving around and unplugging. Check out last year's summer prep GirlTip for some ideas to add to your summer list. 

What's on your list?