Your child’s teenage years are an exciting time, but they can be tricky too. With hormones going wild and bigger pressures at school, challenging mood swings are par for the course. With mental ill-health on the rise though, you’ll want to keep watch on whether their moods are normal, or if they need a bit of help.
Today one in five teens has a diagnosable mental health condition. And on average, people wait 8-10 years after first experiencing mental health problems before seeking help. Of course, if problems are noticed and tackled when they first come up, you can help your child with the tools they need to be happy sooner rather than later. If you think that your teen needs some professional help, find out if they can see a school counsellor, or if it’s more serious, their GP can help you work out a plan of action together.
There are lots of common issues that you can help your teen with if you have the right tips. Keep reading for a break-down of some key pain-points, and what you can to do help as a parent.
It’s great to keep the lines of communication open with teens
With schools closed and teens all studying at home, many are afraid that they’ll be falling behind. On top of that, since exams were cancelled, thousands of kids feel in limbo as they wait for results to come through from the new grading system. Even just doing a few hours of studying a week during lockdown will help them keep on track with their core subjects, and a sense of progress will help fight off worry. Here are some more tips about managing academic anxiety in teens.
“Low self esteem can be extremely damaging long term. If children develop core beliefs such as “I’m not good enough” or “even if I try I don’t succeed, so what’s the point?” this can lead to significant problems in the future.”
When teens start preparing for exams, the pressure can often be overwhelming
Another big problem for teens today is negative peer pressure and forms of bullying online – it affects over 1 million young people every year.
As teens’ bodies change and grow, the most normal thing in the world is for them to feel a bit awkward or insecure about how they look. In the age of Instagram influencers and selfies though, it’s increasingly common for teens – both girls and boys – to become obsessed with their body image in a negative way.
If your teen follows influencers who post images that brag about their bodies, it can be helpful to remind them of what’s normal and what isn’t. If they can make the choice to unfollow accounts that make them feel bad about themselves, they’ll be developing a more resilient approach to social media and their own mental health.
Parenting can be stressful, especially if you’re worried about your child. You’ll be in the best place to help them if you also take care of your own mental and physical health. It’s especially hard as a busy parent to leave time in the day for yourself, but as little as 20 minutes of “me time” each day can leave you calmer and more able to help everyone else.
From us:
How will GCSEs and A Levels be graded without exams?
Teen Wellbeing During Lockdown: finding the balance
The Parents Guide to Teen Online Safety
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