HEALTH

Planning the ultimate summer vacay

When Mom and Dad told ya you were goin’ cruising in July, you couldn’t speak for squeeing. But now that it’s coming up, it seems like all you’re doing is worrying. What if you forget something? What if you get sick? What if something bad happens? Remember, babe, that in this sitch, you’re the kid. Let the grown-ups prepare, and let you take care of you. Make a packing list, figure out what you wanna do when and then enjoy!

Making moolah

Being a workin’ girl is so not glamourous, but with ice cream dates and shopping trips come responsibility, right? Once you start working, you might be tempted to hit the ground running—and that’s great. But remember, every hard worker needs downtime, too. Give yourself time to refresh between shifts and sitting gigs, OK?

Having a beach-ready bod

Everybody is insecure about their body, so your worries are totally normal. The hard part? Letting them go and enjoying yourself…especially in summer’s skimpiest clothes. Our favorite summer secret: The better you are to your bod, the comfier you’ll be in your own skin. That means working out (we recommend at least 30 minutes of activity a day) and eating right.

Spending wayyy too much time with the fam

When summer comes calling and it’s just you stuck in the house with Mom, Dad and all your sibs ‘til September, it’s natural for you to want to escape. Switching up your schedule to get outta the house will help, trust us. A night at the movies, a volunteer gig during the mornings or a standing babysitting job on Saturday afternoon will give you something to look forward to that’s family-free.

Heading to the annual family reunion

Spending time with relatives that you haven’t seen in a while can sometimes be awkward, especially when mom and dad are pressuring you to become best friends with that cousin you can’t stand. Here’s the most important thing to remember to help get ya through the dreaded day: Keep an open mind. You haven’t seen that cousin in a while; maybe she’s changed in the past year! Or try bringing your own games to the table instead of getting stuck playing catch with the kiddies.

Going to sleepaway camp

Leaving home behind is terrifying, especially if this is your first time at overnight camp. But once you settle into your bunk, pull out your pics of Mom and Dad and Rover and get to know the rest of the girls, you’ll forget how hard it was to say goodbye and start looking forward to crafts and kayaking. The most important thing to do when trying to survive camp is to get in on the action. Your camp will provide tons of fun activities to keep ya occupied, so take part in them!

Hitting up summer school

Yeah, major bummer, we know, but if you’ve gotta go, you might as well make the most of it! Treat summer school as a second BTS event, with cute first-day outfits, decorated notebooks and sweet after-school activities…um, like hitting the pool.

Finding a new crush

The sweetest summer flings come outta left field, so don’t put a deadline on finding love this season. Go about your business with your buds, and if Mr. Right Now falls into your path—or on your beach towel—go ahead and give yourself permission to see where it can go.

Change, period

Whether it’s moving or switching schools, summer is full of change that can escalate your stress. To eliminate the rush of last-minute to-dos, make one list to consult and cross off items as you go. And to keep from feeling overwhelmed, give yourself something to look forward to, like exploring your new town or joining a club that your old school didn’t offer.

Going back to school

As summer comes to an end, the thought of losing your free time—and returning to homework woes—is enough to make anyone break out in a cold sweat. To push those blues out of the brain, think about all the fun stuff that you get to do to prepare for school, like shopping with mom for a first-day outfit, comparing class scheduals with your friends and checking out the new cuties hitting the halls.

by Katie Takacs | 2/1/2016