And just like that, summer is here for the secondary school students (at least, for those not currently sitting exams). Three months of nothingness potentially lies ahead, and those of us well acquainted with children of the teenage variety know that prolonged boredom and hormones do not mix. Throw in a little bit of societal suspicion and judgment and it’s a recipe for seasonal disaster.But do not fear. You are not alone in your struggles and overwhelming feelings of dread. The existential crisis you may be experiencing this week as you reflect on your shopping bill, substantially increased thanks to the never-ending snacks required to fuel a teenage summer, will pass. The rest of it, though – well, prevention is better than cure, as they say. So we’ve come up with some failsafe ways to teenage proof your summer. 1. ‘Volunteering’The neighbourhood WhatsApp group. You’re probably already in one but if you don’t have one, perhaps now is as good a time as any to set up one. Because, you know, neighbours. Everybody needs good neighbours. Not only are neighbourhood WhatsApp groups the perfect place to share details of Wifi outages, security risks, missing cats, water and power shut-offs and consequential warnings to stock up on wine, they are also the perfect place to volunteer your precious teens for any odd jobs or gardening that your neighbours may need doing. And the best part of it – the little darlings won’t even know what you’ve done. Mwahahaha (evil laugh).2. Hire ’em outA slightly less underhand tactic, this, and one that has the added bonus of passing a couple of hours, hopefully: Go full retro and print leaflets offering services such as holiday dog walking and babysitting. And deliver them to all the houses in the locality. With any luck they will end up stuck to someone’s fridge door and just might lead to a phone call at some stage over the summer.There’s also value in teens offering to help out with younger children in advance of the primary school holidays. An hour or two’s respite once or twice a week, for a stressed parent trying to work at home can be an affordable godsend if the teens price it right.3. Summer campsTwo chances to win at life here. It can be hard, particularly in urban areas for those younger than 18 to get a part-time summer job. And even those who have officially reached adulthood can find it challenging if employers recognise that a return to school is on the cards a few weeks later. But summer camps often hire teenagers for extra support, so there may be an option to earn a few euro, and get in some valuable work experience. There are also summer camps that are actually geared towards teens, though far fewer than for primary schoolchildren. Keep an eye out with local sports clubs and drama clubs to see what’s coming up. Our own summer camps features have plenty of suggestions. You might find something there that works. 4. Home workIf it’s not possible to farm the teens out, or, erm, I mean find them work outside the house, then there’s likely plenty that can be done at home. That fridge won’t restock itself after all, so no harm in earning their keep somehow. It’s a life skill after all. So some might say it’s even responsible parenting to get them to do all the jobs you haven’t yet got around to doing. [ Most of the women in my life dread the eight-week primary school summer holidaysOpens in new window ]There’s possibly a shed that needs repainting, drawers that need decluttering of outgrown clothes or an attic that needs clearing. There are also movies to attend, bowling allies to go to, and burgers and chips to be had over the holiday period. These things cost money, so, really, in allowing them to tackle all those jobs that need doing you’re just providing them with the opportunity to earn some extra pocket money so they can live the sort of life they’d like to become accustomed to. Give yourself a pat on the back.5. HobbiesWith three months looming, summer is also an excellent time to try out some new hobbies. Something that may even help sustain them through State exam summers, which are not quite so free and easy. Sports, writing, photography, first aid, hiking – the sky’s the limit. And parental suggestions can help with considerations. With a notable dropin sports participation evident once children move to secondary school, you’re not just helping to fill their summer, you’re helping them to develop important down-time skills for the school years and life beyond.Godspeed.