When Your Teen's Summer Plans Are... Absolutely Nothing

Summer’s here.

And instead of taking initiative, exploring interests, or even just getting off the couch…
your teenager seems perfectly content doing absolutely nothing.

No job. No plans.

Just sleeping until noon, gaming until their eyes burn, and giving you that dead-eyed stare when you dare to suggest literally anything else.

You’ve tried encouraging.
You’ve tried laying down the law.
You’ve even tried backing off completely, hoping they’d figure it out.

But still… nothing.

And it’s not just frustrating.

It’s that cold fear creeping in at 2 a.m. when you can’t sleep—
wondering if they’re just… lazy.
Or worse—if this version of them is here to stay.

Let’s pause here.

Because motivation doesn’t start with another speech about wasted potential—
it starts with feeling seen in their struggle, and safe enough to be honest.

The pressure to be productive.
The constant comparisons.
The fear that they’ll fail or fall short—so why even try?

When they don’t know how to handle that pressure, they shut down.

They say “I don’t care.”
But what they might mean is:

“I’m overwhelmed.”
“I don’t know where to start.”
“I’m afraid I’ll fail, so what’s the point?”

So before you push again—pause.
Get curious. Ask:

“What feels hard right now?”
“Is there anything you’re avoiding because it feels too big?”
“What’s something you wish I understood?”

These conversations take practice.

But this is how teenagers learn to face challenges instead of avoid them—
because they trust they’re not facing them alone.

Imagine if this summer felt different.

✨ Your teenager got out of bed with purpose.
✨ You had real conversations—at dinner, in the car, when they actually came out of their room.
✨ You weren’t walking on eggshells, wondering if they were okay.
✨ You felt proud—not just of them, but of how you showed up as their parent.

If you’re watching your teenager drift through summer—and you’re scared this is the new normal—you’re not alone.

Let’s talk. I’ll help you stop the cycle of arguments, worry, and cold shoulders—so you can rebuild motivation and trust without pushing them away.

How would that feel?

👉 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.”

🧡 Jeanine

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

🎁 5 Questions That Get Teens to Open Up

🎥 Click here for a deeper dive into motivation.