School is right around the corner and it’s important that our teens are prepared mentally so they can be successful. Just thinking about or hearing the word “school” can trigger different emotions and thoughts for our students. The more we can have discussions with our students around their thoughts, the better we are able to help them manage their emotions and behaviors.
Tip 1: Talk with your teen about their hopes and goals for this school year: It’s important that they can freely express their hopes and goals. This conversation can be a daily check in or weekly reminders throughout the year. A teen that has no goals in place is usually an “unhappy” teen and will complain of boredom or show indifference about school.
Tip 2: Create nighttime routines that allows for your teen to settle their mind and relax: Having a nighttime routine aids in mental clarity for many people, especially students. Be intentional about helping them to disconnect from social media and social pressure. Help them to find peace at home, this promotes safety and allows them to be vulnerable.
Tip 3: Explore groups and clubs with your teen that fits their interests: It’s okay to help your teen with exploring activities they could be interested in. This shows them that you care about what they like and keeps you in the loop. It’s important that teens have a positive group that they enjoy and can socialize in. Having positive social supports helps teens with accountability and to cope with the demands of the school year.
Tip 4: Talk with your teen about their concerns heading into another school year: These conversations can go extremely quickly or take hours based what they’ve experienced. Nevertheless, it’s important to have this time with them. The goal is for conversations to become natural between you and your teen, no matter how difficult. This decreases negative thoughts from becoming suppressed feelings. The more teens can release their thoughts, the better they can function throughout the school day.
Tip 5: Increase family time: Make additional time for your teen as they get ready for another year. Family time can be as simple as going to the movies together or staying at home and having game night. Be sure to include them in the plans so they have something to look forward to. Increasing your presence helps them to feel seen and safe enough to release thoughts sporadically if needed. Let them know that they are not alone and have an ongoing support system right at home.
Let us know if you have any other tips that you use with your teen. We would love to hear from you and share your tips with others to help them as well. Stay safe and as always, lead with love.
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