Dreading a summer of sleeping in and screens?

Summer is coming.

And instead of looking forward to it, you’re bracing yourself.

Because if your teen had it their way?
They’d sleep till noon, game till midnight, and scroll TikTok in between.

You’ve probably already said it:
“You can’t just lie around all summer!”
“What’s your plan?”
“We didn’t raise you to do nothing!”

Cue the shrug. The snap. The slammed door.
And just like that, you’re back in the cycle you thought you were done with.

But what if you didn’t have to feel on edge—because you were having a real conversation instead of a standoff?

Start by asking, calmly and curiously:
👉 “What would you like to do this summer?”

Not in a loaded way. Not with sarcasm.
Just genuine curiosity.

They might say “video games all day,”
and yeah—the attitude might make you want to snap right back.
But instead of losing it, try:
👉 “Yeah, that is fun. What else do you enjoy?”

You’re not giving in.
You’re showing them you’re open to talking—without letting go of the boundaries they still need.

It might take time.
They might brush you off.
But the tone you set now shapes what unfolds next.

Because when you lead with connection instead of a lecture,
your teen stops bracing for a fight—and starts leaning in to talk.
That’s how you get to a plan you can both live with.

🧡 Jeanine

P.S. If you want help creating a plan that actually works—for your teen and your sanity—let’s talk.
👉 Book a free Parenting Breakthrough Call here

“I came to the call feeling like a task master—constantly managing, directing, and fixing. Jeanine showed me how to have a conversation from a more heart-centered place so I wasn’t always the bad guy. I left feeling relieved, clearer, and more hopeful.”

You’ll also love these free tools to get things rolling:

🎁 5 Questions That Get Teens to Open Up

🎥 How to Reconnect After Yelling