Did You Know? Summer Edition 2026, A Safe Summer for Kids
Sunshine and warmer days signal summers here! For many kids it means sleeping in, biking to the beach, working a job, watching younger siblings, summer camps, and so on. Many feelings are felt leading up to the last day of school; relief, excitement, worry, and even sadness.
DID YOU KNOW this is normal for kids (and adults)? The transition from structured school routines to the freedom of summer can be overwhelming. Many aren’t ready to leave the routines, resources, or connections at school. It may be helpful to talk with kids about the transition and create a plan together.
Here are a few things you can consider when doing this:
Tackle the Change with a Plan– Take a little time to map out what the summer weeks might look like. Involve your kids in setting a few goals for the summer like learning a new skill to reading a certain number of books. It keeps them motivated, creates independence, and gives you some breathing room. But remember you don’t have to fill every moment for your kids. You’ll be surprised what they may come up with if given time to be bored.
Keep a Routine– Although your kid will no longer be going to and from school, try to keep a routine. Having a wake-up time and bedtime each day along with other consistent things gives kids a sense of stability. Create summer expectations like a chore chart for kids to follow can help build responsibility and help them feel needed. By minimizing the unexpected, you can help kids build confidence and limit anxiety each day. If summertime travels or adventures disrupt the normal schedule, that’s ok. Keep whatever routines you can in place and then get back to the others as you can.
Balance Screen Time– Set specific times for phone, tv, and social media with your kids and stick to it. Designate certain areas of your home as tech-free zones to encourage more interactions and creative play.
Make Time for Fun- Plan a few mini-vacations or day trips. It doesn’t have to be elaborate, a day at the beach, a picnic in the park, a hike, or a visit to a nearby museum can be refreshing. Create or continue family traditions- movie nights, cooking together, or even a weekly game night can create lasting memories.
As kids get older, they continue to be more independent and earn more freedom, especially during the summer months. Summer is a good time to go over rules and expectations for them especially around substances.
DID YOU KNOW that although nicotine remains the most common substance used in e-cigarettes, cannabis vaping has become progressively prevalent? Studies indicate that approximately 30% to more than 50% of adolescents who use e-cigarettes also report vaping cannabis or THC. Historically, cannabis–nicotine co-use was primarily -cannabis and cigarettes. Increasingly, however, this combination occurs, especially with cannabis and nicotine vaping devices. Nicotine pouches represent a newer nicotine source that may further diversify patterns of co-use among youth.
Talk to your kids about substance use and addiction. During summer, kids are navigating changes: more free time, less oversite by adults, loneliness, building a social network and staying connected to friends, and/or getting a job can all create significant stress. Many kids turn to substances to manage stress, reduce anxiety and navigate social belonging in environments where substance use is often normalized. Unfortunately, substance use impairs judgment, increases impulsivity and amplifies vulnerability to a range of other high-risk behaviors and harms.
DID YOU KNOW co-use of cannabis and nicotine is associated with greater dependence liability, heavier substance use, cognitive impairment, cardiovascular and pulmonary injury, and growing evidence of adverse psychiatric outcomes? Both nicotine and THC may produce acute cardiovascular effects, including tachycardia, sympathetic activation, and blood-pressure changes, raising concerns that combined exposure may amplify cardiovascular risks.
TASK- the Tahoe Alliance for Safe Kids, is a local non-profit whose mission is to prevent and reduce youth substance use and related harm- Keeping kids safe in collaboration with our community partners. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more tips and resources each month around the highlighted DYK Campaign. Visit our website at www.tahoesafekids.org