Teenagers are particularly susceptible to poor decision-making in the summertime for obvious reasons. However, some are not always so obvious. The fact that more down time exists, thus leading to the "boredom" problem has many parents scrambling to fill the void. However, it is not so much the down time as the lack of any structure that has potentially negative consequences. Teens, by nature, need adults to pull back from their superpower interventions and let them experiment, suffer, recover, and learn. By this I am not talking about hardcore drugs and chronic substance use. But I am talking about giving them opportunities to dig themseles out of bad decisions through self-reflection, peer consultation and hold your breath, maybe even seeking their parents out for advice; as opposed to the trendy "helicopter parenting" employed by many these days. Teens need to stay connected to their parents not so much through a heavy time element but through the continuation of dinner and other check-in points throughout the day and week. Despite teens wanting their freedom, they still rely on the consistent awareness that they have a solid frame in which to rely when summertime stressors feel unmanageable without adult support. But take caution and observe your child as opposed to managing them. When you sense the universe being out of alignment for them, it is far more useful to note what you see rather than speculate on what you think might be going on. Ask! Do not tell! Going from a period to a question mark is at the vanguard of parenting effectively with contemporary teens. If this feels ineffective, then writing terse notes letting your teen know that you are there for him or her may not feel too significant, but over time kids have memories of little efforts.