Teens need curfews even when they might not have to get up early. Unless there's an unusual reason, we close our house between 11 p.m. and 12 midnight in the summer. Our kids have to be in and others out by then. And remember, you don't need to run an open house every night. There's a pity party going on at my house about not having enough friends.
Children can be very self-centered.
But an instant cure for self-pity is caring for someone else. Have a family brainstorming session and choose several things you want to do as a family to care for others. In the summer our children have more time to learn what it means to serve. My friends Ann and Jim gave each of their teens a special summer project to get their focus off themselves and onto serving their family. Mark was to design and build a slate walkway in their backyard.