How to Help Your ADHD Teen Get Stuff Done This Summer

Written By Carolyn DeFir

A lighthearted guide to SHSAT prep, audition practice, and taming the summer homework beast (without constantly nagging)

It’s mid-summer. The iced coffee is flowing, the beach bags are packed, and somewhere in your home… a teenager is fully horizontal, scrolling TikTok with one AirPod in and absolutely not opening that SHSAT book or reading that assigned novel from school.

If your teen has ADHD, executive function challenges, or maybe just a strong allergic reaction to “doing things in Summer,” this post is for you. I’m breaking down some realistic, compassionate, and low-key effective ways to keep momentum going this summer without turning your vacation into boot camp.

Let’s go.

☀️ 1. Don’t Try to Do Everything at Max. Pick Your Priority.

Summer can feel like a golden opportunity to “catch up” on everything your kid struggles with during the school year or to set them up for a successful school year & application season. But here’s the truth: trying to do test prep, summer homework, finish (or start) their audition portfolio, catch up on every doctor’s appointment ever, go to camp, and see their friends is a fast track to burnout (for both of you).

Pick one big goal, and then make everything else background goals.

  • If they’re prepping for the SHSAT, let’s focus on that—math drills and reading comprehension can double as general academic review so it’s a twofer!

  • If they’re auditioning for arts schools, let that be the main character.

  • If summer homework is traditionally hard to complete, center that, and then sprinkle in the rest of the goals.

  • Even if your kid has a lot of things that have firm End of Summer Deadlines, choosing one goal as the main focal point, and softening the pressure towards the smaller ones can actually help them check everything off.

✅ Pro tip: Sit down together and choose the main focus. When your kid hears you don’t want them to feel overwhelmed either, and feels some agency, they’re more likely to engage (and less likely to run screaming).

📚 2. Make It Bite-Sized (and Time It Right)

Brains with ADHD hate vagueness. “Do some prep today” = absolutely nothing happens.
Try this instead:

  • 25-minute blocks of focused work (set a timer —I have my fave listed at the end of the post)

  • Set it for the time of day they’re naturally sharpest (hint: it’s probably not 9am for a teen, may have made that mistake in our house!). But the set time of day is important.

  • Use a system like “prep first, then chill” — example: 25 minutes of SHSAT, then 30 minutes of gaming

  • If working on something longer format, then use the Pommodoro method (25 minutes of focused work, then 5 minute brain & movement break, then back to work for 25 minutes until complete. This works for adults too!)

🎭 3. Audition Kids: Practice Doesn’t Mean Perfection

If your child is working on a monologue, dance, art portfolio, or music piece—summer is prime time for low-stakes prep. But don’t let it morph into pressure.

Instead of: “You should be practicing every day!”
Try: “Let’s pick one day a week to record a run-through and watch it back together.”

Even one weekly review gives your teen momentum and feedback, without burnout.
📷 Bonus tip: Record short practice clips they can reflect on or send to a coach/teacher.

📖 4. Tame the Summer Homework Monster

If your kid’s school sent home a reading list or math packet that is still sitting in a crumpled backpack or maybe the online link to the rubric hasn’t even been opened yet, it’s okay. You are not behind. But let’s make a plan.

💡 Try this:

  • Break the assignment into weekly chunks (ex: 4 chapters per week = done by Labor Day, or 30 pages a day, you get the idea)

  • Use a visual tracker (my kid used to HATE checklists. She found them stressful. Now she loves to make her own colorful checklist with hand drawn emojis & big square boxes to check off herself. She has 2 currently: Summer fun bucket list/Things I have to do)

  • Tie it to a reward system. It’s not bribes. It’s motivation.
    “Finish this week’s work, and let’s take a break and go shopping or get matcha” etc

📘 Pro tip: Don’t assume they’re resisting on purpose. They worked hard all year and really do need some breaks. They’re probably struggling without their regular routine too and feeling frustrated and overwhelmed. And the looming deadlines are adding pressure.  Gentle scaffolding, helping them create a routine  > nagging.

 

😎 5. Keep the Summer Summer-y

Please don’t make SHSAT prep your teen’s whole identity this summer. Or let Audition worries keep them from being kids. Yes, structure helps—but so does joy. Let your kid have downtime, fresh air, silly moments, sleep-ins, fro-yo, screen time with friends, days off, whatever feels like a break to them. And when they’re having free time, try not to bring up the assigned work or talk about upcoming high school searches, save that for designated times.  Trust me!

When they feel rested, connected, and not micromanaged 24/7, they’re way more likely to show up for the parts that require focus.

💬 Want More Help?

If you’re stressed about the upcoming high school application season, this is what I do. I help NYC families through the high school admissions process (without losing your mind).

If you want:

  • A list-building strategy that makes sense for your kid

  • Tour questions that actually get useful answers

  • Support navigating the admissions process with an IEP or 504 plan

👉 Let’s talk. Book a 1:1 consult or check out the podcast

📎 PS – Need Some Tools?

Here are a few picks I love for ADHD-friendly summer structure:

(This post contains a few affiliate links. No pressure, no extra cost to you—just things I love that might help your kid get stuff done and helps me keep the podcast & blog as free resources to all).

Carolyn DeFir
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