Can you feel the excitement in the air? Students are writing exams, the sun is coming out more and more, and the summer vacation is looming. If you're like most parents you are both excited and apprehensive about what the summer may bring. On the one hand you have family outings and bbq's to look forward to, and on the other hand you have the "I'm bored" comments coming.

So what can you as a parent do to encourage a great summer of character development and growth in responsibility? Here are a few quick suggestions to get your creative parental juices flowing:

I was watching Dr. Phil today, I know what you're thinking but my time wasn't wasted lol. He was interviewing parents whose teens were involved in at risk behaviors. This, of course interested me because I am a youth worker. Something interesting that came out of the show for me was the comment "we are best friends". I cringed when i heard that. Here was a mom that was playing best friend with her son, and it reminded me of parents I have encountered over the years whose relationship with their teen was more of a peer relationship than a Parent/teen relationship.

As I prepare for New Years Eve I’m excited. I love the planning of parties, the fun in the decorations, the food, the music, the people, and the games and of course the countdown to the New Year.