For teenagers, summer means breaking with the routine, having time for leisure and resting before facing a new academic year. During the summer period, young people are freed from the responsibilities associated with their studies —unless they have left a subject for September— and tend to spend more time at home. This situation should not serve as an excuse for your children to put aside their day-to-day responsibilities, quite the contrary, since the holidays are the most opportune moment to promote independence among adolescents.
Autonomy is a fundamental quality in personal development that your children must train on their way to adulthood. For this, it is essential that parents teach their children to take responsibility for their actions and give in when making their decisions. Delaying the assumption of tasks appropriate to their age or excessive control in managing their time are counterproductive practices for this purpose. However, showing trust in them and allowing them to take risks and consequences is the first step for your child to start fending for himself.
Parents will find tasks appropriate to their children's age in daily activities that can help them learn to assume responsibilities and function independently. And perfectly compatible with leisure and rest!
Why put aside good manners? If during the course, your child is used to getting up early and making the bed before leaving home, the holidays should not be used as an excuse for this to change. This is a good opportunity to teach him how to dust, vacuum, mop or prepare the mop bucket, without giving it all done.
One way for your child to learn how important order and cleanliness is is for them to start collaborating on chores. For example, if he helps you fold your ironed clothes, it will be easier for him to put his clothes in the closet in his room later. It can also be a good time to train consistent planning with simple guidelines, such as taking turns with your siblings when it comes to setting the table or taking out the trash in the afternoon before leaving home.
If your child has planned an excursion with his friends or is going to do any other activity outside the home, let him gather everything he needs by himself. Choosing the best luggage, the clothes he is going to wear or worrying about preparing a snack are issues that will undoubtedly encourage the development of his autonomy.
