Teen Summer Tracker

Does your teen need structure and accountability for the summer months? Here is a solution with a free printable Teen Summer Tracker.

We currently have 4 pre-teen, teen, and young adult children, and we’ve been learning how to navigate this new stage of parenting.

My husband and I have found ourselves wondering:

How do we keep our teens active and engaged when their preferred activity is hours of TV or video game time?
When do we let go of control and in what areas?
How do we keep our kids accountable?

Here is what we have discovered is helpful:

Give your teen tasks to be completed in a set period of time, but allow him or her the freedom to choose when it gets done.

For our little ones, during the summer I have a set routine. We read books together, do chores together, and go on fun outings together.

As our teens have gotten older, they want and are ready for more freedom.

Yet teens aren’t quite ready for total control of their routine and schedule. I have found that assigning certain tasks is helpful. These tasks must be completed by a set deadline.

This also gives you teen real world-type experience because many jobs are structured in this way.

Decide when tasks need to be complete, if there is a consequence if tasks are not done on time, and discuss this with your teen in advance.

In our house, computer/TV/video game time is the ultimate draw for most of our teens, so I set up this Teen Summer Tracker to accommodate that.

You can decide if you require your kids to complete other tasks (chores, reading, exercise) before computer time is allowed, or if you will give your teen complete freedom to choose. We require our kids to get chores done before computer time and the jobs have to be done correctly, not rushed through.

This chart is great for pre-teens, tweens, and teens, so for ages 10-18. After age 18, we consider our children to now be adults and have different expectations.

Then let go of control and allow your child to choose when these tasks will be accomplished before the set deadline.

The “other” category on the chart is for you to use for anything else that fits into your teen’s day. Piano practice, daily devotions or Bible reading, and TV time (if TV and computer are separate) are some possibilities.

This system gives your teen freedom within structured boundaries.