your teen’s world a presentation for parents november 17, 2011
TRANSCRIPT
Sources of Stress for Everyone
• Relationships• Family Issues• Social Issues• Work/School• Finances• Time Management
Teen World Stressors
• Home Situation• School Situation
- Academic pressure- Extracurricular pressure
• Social Culture- Dating- Friendships- Cliques- Peer Pressure- Bullying
More Teen World Stressors
• Growing up “too fast”- Media Messages- Peer Pressure
• Feeling Disconnected- Time on Technology- Individualized Activities
• Poor Time Management- Being Overscheduled with Activities
Additional Teen World Stressors Today
• Cyberbullying- Facebook- Formspring- My Space
Megan Meier*http://www.meganmeierfoundation.org/
- Texting and BBM’ing/e-mail- Twitter/Tumblr
• Sexting- Cell Phones, IPhones, IM’ing, Texting
*http://getbetterhealth.com/parents-your-kids-may-be-sexting/2009.10.29
Symptoms of Stress Can Include:
• Physical Complaints• Drop in Grades• Withdrawal from Friends and Activities• Inability to Concentrate• Significant Changes in Sleeping Habits• Sudden Weight Gain or Loss• Mood Swings• Fighting and Aggression
Strategies to Reduce Stress• Communicate• Recognize Warning Signs• Applaud Success• Ration TV/Computer
and Electronic Devices• Readjust Perspective• Learn and model
stress management skills
» Jennifer A. Walker, Psy.D.
Strategies to Reduce Stress
• Connect to others • Get enough sleep• Watch eating habits• Remove at Least One Stressor: Even a small
improvement in the overall situation can help children feel stronger and more able
• Have fun!» Jennifer A. Walker, Psy.D.
Arguably, the Most Prevalent Stressor among NH Students…
• Pressure to compete and excel in school- overscheduled with rigorous academic courses- feeling like nothing they accomplish is ever “enough”- overloaded with activities- overly concerned about doing things for the sake of building their college resume- overly concerned about keeping up with peers
Symptoms of Being Overscheduled
• Rushing• Fatigue or listlessness• Constantly missed deadlines• Insufficient time for rest or personal
relationships• Feeling overwhelmed• Lack of “down time”
Making Time
• Learn to say “No”• Build time into your schedule– Make reasonable time estimates– Time for interruptions, unforeseen events
• Set aside “quiet time” each day• Prioritize • Stop perfectionism – just get it done
Thoughts on dealing with pressure to compete and excel
• Think in terms of “the big picture”• Help your child find his or her own personal
strengths and interests• Don’t make every conversation/interaction
with your child be about school• Help them to see that they are not the sum of
their GPA/SAT scores
What Our High School Provides
• School Resources and Support- Counselors- Social Workers and School Psychologist- Administration (School-Based Issues)- Affirmative Action Officer- Teachers
What Our High School Provides
• Education/Programs- Transition Project- Student Ambassadors-“Sticks & Stones” Program
- Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying Policy- Character Education Outreach Program
• Outside Sources- Private Counselor Referrals- Police/DARE officers
Special Thank You to
Jennifer A. Walker, Psy.D. of the Family Institute of
Westchester for providing us with the stress management portion of our presentation