Helping Your Foster Child Feel Welcome On The First Day
May 14, 2021
What Does Being A Foster Parent Really Look Like
July 6, 2021
Kids of all ages are looking forward to a fun and memorable summer. It’s easy to keep younger children busy with camps and trips to the playground. But as soon as the school year ends, most teens gravitate towards video games and lying around on the couch with the remote control in hand. Having some time to decompress, hang out with friends, and “just do nothing” can be good for the mind and body. But finding healthy summer activities for your foster teenager can help balance those lazy days in several rewarding ways. Here are some ideas for inspiration.
Landing A Summer Job
Summer is the perfect time for teenagers to earn a little spending money or start a savings account. Great opportunities include lifeguarding at the local pool, working in the food services industry, manning the cash register at a grocery store, or assisting customers at a movie theatre or retail shop. Start by helping your foster teen to practice their interviewing skills, and be there for support when hitting the pavement and filling out applications. In addition to a paycheck, a first job has other benefits as well. It helps to build confidence, a sense of responsibility, and a good work ethic. It also teaches skills that can transfer into adulthood.
Volunteering
If your foster teen likes to help others, encourage them to find volunteer opportunities in the community, or commit to donating time as a family to a good cause. Options might include stocking a food pantry, babysitting at a church daycare, visiting with nursing home residents, planting a community garden, or cleaning up a public park. You may even find unpaid internship opportunities that align with your foster teen’s future career aspirations. As an added bonus, some high schools require volunteer work for graduation and will accept hours accrued in the summer.
Exploring Creative Endeavors
During the school year, kids are kept busy with classes, homework and projects. Other than the weekend, there is little free time to spend on outside interests. Come summer, your teenager has nearly three months to focus on whatever they please, but as we mentioned earlier, many kids waste that precious time. Instead of allowing summer boredom to set in, support your foster teenager in pursuing their creative interests and passions, whether it’s writing, dancing, music, acting, painting, or whatever fuels their imagination.
Learning Something New
In addition to pursuing interests outside of school, the summer months can be spent growing and developing new skills. For some foster teens, this might mean learning to drive or or fixing up an old car. For others, it could be practicing an instrument, like a guitar or piano, building a website, or learning how to cook/bake. Time could also be spent on academic subjects, such as improving math and reading skills, conducting science experiments, or studying a foreign language.
Playing Summer Sports
Staying active is a healthy pursuit any time of year, but summer weather affords extra opportunities for kids to get moving outdoors. Most towns and cities offer inexpensive summer leagues for youth of all ages and skill levels, including tennis, baseball/softball, basketball, volleyball, soccer and swim teams. If your teen wants to participate in a summer sport, research local rec centers to see what is being offered and be sure to sign up!
Every child needs and deserves to grow up safe and protected from abuse and neglect, and caring foster parents offer children support and stability when they need it most. At Camelot Care Centers, we specialize in higher-level foster care for children and adolescents that need extra support. We partner with our foster parents/homes to provide trauma informed care and additional services, including in-home counseling, parent support and training, tele-psychiatry, and therapeutic mentoring, to maintain children at the least restrictive, yet most appropriate level of care. Camelot Care Centers (“Camelot”) is a Child Welfare Agency.
