I didn't want my son to overdose on screen time this summer, so we're fostering a puppy. He's learning responsibility and time management.

• My 14-year-old fostered a puppy after failing to find a summer job or secure volunteer work. • The experience taught him responsibility, patience, and the value of non-monetary rewards. • The experience was so good that the dog ended up staying with us longer than we expected.

When my 14-year-old son couldn't land a summer job — or even a volunteering gig — I worried the season would pass him by with no sense of purpose, no high school volunteer hours, and nothing to anchor his days other than endlessly watching Minecraft videos.

I wasn't fixated on him earning a paycheck. What mattered more was finding something meaningful to do, something that would build confidence and help him grow. He tried. He applied to several jobs online — the public library, a local physiotherapy clinic,