Young Summer Lovers – An Opportunity for Guidance

Let's strengthen our bond and be present.

„Now we're changing gear. Summer is here,“ says Jóna Rán Pétursdóttir, a prevention officer for the City of Hafnarfjörður, in an article published in The latest issue of Fjarðarfrétta, A Hafnarfjörður youth.

„More daylight, a change in outdoor hours. There are varied opportunities for teenagers and parents to spend time together and to lift their spirits,“ says Jóna Rán, adding. „All residents, senior citizens and parents could ponder summer love a little, because it's so much fun.“

Jóna Rán says that young people often need a strong helping hand in their relationships. „Summer is the time when a single weekend can change a teenager's life – whether it's a major sports event or a camping trip,“ she says.

„Now things start to move fast and parental responsibility sometimes changes. It's worth enjoying the brightness together; and if that's the case, don't leave the teenager to their heartache. Then they'll sink,“ she says.

Let's help them set boundaries

Jóna Rán says that underlying these words is a hint of intimate partner violence. „Barnaheill have managed to map the emotional lives of young people. We see that they feel rather lonely and that they are facing a real problem. We are seeing clearer manifestations than before,“ she says.

„Technology is playing tricks on us. They share locations with each other and navigate from them. They share photos of each other and cross each other's boundaries without even realising it. It's the conversation that we parents can have this summer, guiding them in the right direction,“ she says, looking towards what most of us long for.

„Yes, summer is a time for connection and love, whether that's rekindling the marriage on a nice camping trip or at the kitchen table at home,“ she says.

There's no need to over-plan everything.

„It's so important to spread positive togetherness throughout the summer, to think of the summer in terms of regular get-togethers where the family can come together and check in. It doesn't have to be complicated, it's just about doing it; buying the pizza dough, getting started. Making the time.“

Jóna Rán says many parents make a good game of it with board games at the cottage. They also manage to get the teenager into the back seat of the car and speed off with them to the nearest outdoor area for a good family picnic. „It's about seizing opportunities but at the same time not overcomplicating things, just doing,“ says Jóna Rán.

„Yes, summer is a time for family, to be light-hearted and enjoy being together.“

The article was published in Fjarðarfréttir.