One of the best parts of summer recess is the sudden absence of adult supervision. It’s less likely someone older is around ensuring that your bedroom door stays open or scolding you to “get to class.” There are places to sneak away to that the colder months don’t allow and no such thing as a school night that forces you to end your evenings early. These new circumstances won’t change things for everyone, but the extra freedom and opportunity might lead to extra fooling around.

If this is the case for you or someone you know, you should think about what can be done as the weather gets warmer to reduce the likelihood that summer fun leads to any undesirable consequences.

Think about who wants what. Sometimes the hook ups and playful experimentation that occurs over summer are the result of external pressure. The culture at a summer camp can encourage couples to take things farther than they themselves wanted it to go. In other cases one partner may feel like they need to keep up with their friends so that they don’t come back to school in the fall any less experienced than everyone else. Just because things are more relaxed than the rest of the year doesn’t mean you have to let yourself do something you’re not ready for. It’s okay to figure out what you’re actually interested in (as opposed to what everyone else seems to be doing). It’s also okay to not know exactly what you want right now. Just make sure to check in with your partner and communicate what you are and aren’t comfortable with.

Have fun. Some people take summer love really seriously. Anyone can get wrapped up in the good feelings of not having to go to school and falling for someone they find sexy, but investing all of your feelings into a summer fling could lead to a broken heart when autumn inevitably returns. Keep things light and make sure you’re both enjoying yourselves. The summer is one of the few chances you get as a teen to be carefree so be cautious with weighing yourself down with a suddenly heavy relationship.

Keep all your play safe. Without the regular routine of the school year it’s easy to slack off in the summer. But this doesn’t mean you can let yourself be careless if you do decide to get physical with someone else. Even if you aren’t keeping yourself disciplined with a steady load of schoolwork, it’s still your responsibility to protect you and your partner from unwanted pregnancy or STIs. You’ve still got to give and get consent in every sexual encounter. And you’ve still got to be sure that you aren’t being reckless with anyone’s emotions. Summer is an excuse to wake up late and eat more ice cream than usual, not an excuse to turn into a jerk.

If you keep these things in mind as you and your partner get hot and heavy this summer you’ll have better odds at having fun and not getting burned. Stay cool.   

* image credit: footage.shutterstock.com