Summer is here, and your child is already bored. You’re bored too with the late nights that lead to late mornings, the endless hours playing video games, and the incessant complaints that there’s “nothing to do.”

It’s not too late to turn a lazy summer into a productive one. Here’s how to kick-start the process: 

• Most adults find jobs through networking. Use the same technique for your child. Enncourage him to reach out to your friends and family “network.”
• Some kids with LD are shy and lack well-honed communication skills, but even if she’s not a sparkling conversationalist, she can develop a resume that will generate some questions during a job interview. It also is a great way to get her focus on her strengths and accomplishments, which at the very least can be a confidence booster. 
• Encourage him to identify his own interests and then brainstorm places that might offer opportunities in those areas. A cyclist might be a great help in a bike shop; a technophile could be very happy in a computer store. 
• If your child is worried she might have trouble reading the application form and filling it out on the spot, pick up some forms from places that might be appropriate and help her fill them out at home. 
• If your child can’t find work outside of the home, find things for him to do around the house.  Record his hours and pay accordingly.
• For a younger child, the old neighborhood standbys still apply: Who wouldn’t hire the kid next door to wash cars, mow lawns, walk dogs, water plants, etc?
• Don’t discount volunteer work. While she won’t be earning spending money, she will be accountable for getting to a workplace on time, and accomplishing something useful. 

Summer jobs offer much more than extra pocket money or a discount at a trendy boutique. They offer young employees a chance to interact with the real world and the promise that they will one day be able to have an independent and productive life. Plus, brains that lounge around all summer are not in great shape for school in the fall.