5 Strategies to Deal with Your Son's Spring and Summer Break Boredom and Its Negative Results

Every parent knows that with the much anticipated breaks from school also come the much dreaded words we all hear. “I’m bored. There is nothing to do around here.” As most parents have experienced, if boredom is not dealt with strategically and successfully, it can quickly turn into major problems. From sleeping all day to sibling rivalry to worse. These are issues no parent enjoys facing.

Here are some suggestions to consider as you navigate the upcoming breaks.

1. Implement a strategy where your son can earn points.  Points turn into cash, material items, trips and other things that individually motivate your teen. It may sound a bit childish, but I’ve seen teens up to 18 get excited about it if the incentives are right. It works something like this. There are two lists of jobs. One list is a daily/weekly list of regular routine chores that need to be done around the house.  Each week chores are successfully completed earns them 300 points. You can give partial points for less than 100% completion. A second list has items that can be done for extra points. This list is one that you build off your own “to-do” list from around the house, around the widow’s house next door, grandma’s house etc. It can include all kinds of items from cleaning out the junk drawer to trimming the hedges to weeding the garden. You decide a fair number of points for each job. Your son can choose which he’d like to do and when he’d like to do them. If you have jobs that arise or that need to be done at a certain time, negotiate points for the job with him like you would a contractor. In all cases, make the points worth it for him. As the weekly and extra points add up, he can trade them in at various levels for smaller rewards or save them for something bigger. Give some extra incentive for when he reaches certain levels. At 2500, he gets to have a friend over. At 4000, bowling with some buddies. These extra incentives don’t have to subtract from the totals. It is a great way to keep him busy and also reward his hard work. (Hint- Points can also be taken away for negative behavior, but use this option sparingly.) 
2. Consider a camping experience. There are church camps that last a week. Mission trips, sports camps and adventure camps that last for several weeks.  Why not talk to another family and work to send your sons to camp together. Not only do these camps provide structure, excitement and enjoyment, but if chosen carefully can provide a lot of spiritual growth opportunity.
3. Communicate. Make sure you are taking advantage of the extra time with your son. Take him to lunch, take a weekend trip together or binge watch some wholesome Netflix shows from your teen era. Here is a list of conversation starters you can use with your son if you need them.
4. Stay involved in a church. Most churches provide some great youth group activities in the summer.  Get involved with a good Bible-believing church that will not only provide great worship opportunities for your family, but a great teen program for your son. Talk to the youth pastor if you’re concerned about your son. Perhaps they can provide some helpful suggestions or volunteer to spend some extra time with your son to work through a Bible study.
5. Give them time to relax and refresh. School can be hard and students need some time off. Don’t be overly concerned with some sleeping in, video gaming and tv watching. Teens are only young once and most will work the rest of their lives. While a good work ethic is needed, don’t forget to let them be a teen while they can.

Breaks from school don’t have to be as stressful as it may seem. Plan ahead, talk it over with your son and create breaks from school that end up as pleasant memories for everyone involved.
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If we can be of help, please contact us at Victory Academy for Boys. We also invite you to learn more about our summer Adventure camp program called WildHeart.  Click on the picture below to visit the website, watch the short video and learn more.