parenting

4 Things Every High School Graduate Should Do This Summer

parentingages and stages

High School is over and your graduate is probably going on senior trips and relaxing for the summer. Did they really graduate? Where did that time go? It seems like yesterday you were helping them with their homework and teaching them how to drive.

graduation1

I've thought a lot about this transition time. My son graduated a few years ago and I wasn't prepared for it. It seemed like one day he was asking me for help and now he knows everything. Do our kids have everything they need to be successful in the world when they turn 18? Have we as parents taught them enough? After asking myself these questions, I came up with a few ideas that I think every graduates needs to do before they leave their home in the fall.

4 Things Every High School Graduate Should Do This Summer

  1. Make time to spend with the family. Every graduate should take time to connect with their siblings before they leave home. Summer is a great time to do that. Go on bike rides, play ball, or go swimming with them. Graduates, your relationship with your siblings is going to change whether you like it or not. Make the most of it while you can.
  2. Make a contact list with addresses and phone numbers. Write down every person that has made an impact on your life. Buy yourself a box of stationary and start writing Thank You cards or letters. That is right, I said writing. Don't send them an email or text. Take the time to really tell them how they have touched your life. Hand written sentiments are the best kind. They show the recipient that you care and that you mean what you say.
  3. Make a recipe book. Most likely your graduate will have to cook when they are on their own. What are your go to meals that don't require a lot of ingredients? Write down some easy recipes on recipe cards, punch a hole in the cards and bind them together with a metal ring. This little book will come in handy more than once. If your child has time, make a few of the meals together before they leave home. Teaching basic cooking skills is a life lesson and will help your child feel good about themselves.
  4. Have gratitude for everything you have. It is easy to take things for granted when we are young. Now that you are on your own, appreciate the things that are given to you. Say thank you every chance you can. When you live a life a gratitude, you will feel like you have enough. Being on your own, might be a little tough financially at first. If you are full of gratitude, you won't be looking at the things you don't have, but all that you do have.

What do you want your kids to remember after they graduate?

Picture courtesy of Google Images

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