Teens live exciting lives. They might say they feel bored sometimes, but they’re learning about their environments and gaining insight into the world. This information will shape them into adults. Years later, they might look back at this time fondly.
Teen life is not all sunshine and roses, though. Teen angst is real, and young adults have legitimate concerns, just like older individuals do.
We’ll talk about some things that cause teens stress right now.
Learning to Drive
If you explore common car accident scenarios, you’ll find that teens cause many of them. Inexperienced drivers don’t know what to do in certain situations, and teens haven’t spent much time behind the wheel.
Learning to drive might cause teens stress. They must learn the basic traffic rules and how to operate a vehicle. They might feel nervous when required to get out on the highway in heavy traffic for the first time.
Learning to merge, parallel park, and similar car skills isn’t easy. If you’re a parent trying to teach your teen these automotive basics, keep that in mind. Don’t rush them out into busy traffic conditions until you feel sure they’re ready.
Dating
Many teens find dating fun and exhilarating but anxiety-inducing as well. As a teen, you start to learn who attracts you. You might see a fellow classmate and feel you’d like to date them, but you’re not confident enough to ask.
Getting up the nerve to approach that person and ask them out is challenging. Some teens do it more readily, while others might go for years without taking this step.
As a parent, you might set up some teen dating rules. You can let your child know you expect them home at bedtime on weekdays when they have school the next day.
You should also consider having a sex talk with them. It will likely embarrass them, but uncomfortable conversations always beat teen pregnancy or an STD.
Bullying
Some teens experience bullying, and when that happens, it is hard to feel happy or confident. Maybe your teen experiences just one incident, but some bullies target a teen and keep picking on them for years.
You should let your teen know they can always talk to you about anything, including bullying. They may not want to discuss it, but let them know that you will always listen.
They can also talk to teachers or a guidance counselor. They may want to keep this treatment to themselves because they feel embarrassed, but if they can find a way to talk about it with an adult, they can often find a viable solution.
Social Media
Social media didn’t exist for previous generations, so it’s a relatively new phenomenon. Most teens use it, though. They post their own content and view content that others created.
Social media can let your teen connect with their classmates and friends, but it’s a double-edged sword sometimes. Some teens who use it can experience isolated feelings. They might see that someone has thousands of friends while they don’t have that many. They may feel inferior because of it.
As a parent, you should talk to your teen about social media as well. You might not let them use it until you feel they’re emotionally ready. You can also limit the time they spend on it. You don’t need to buy your teen a smartphone or let them use the internet unrestricted until you feel they have emotional maturity.
If you know your child uses social media, watch out for signs it’s causing them stress. Every child won’t experience it, but some of them will.
Academic Pressure
Teens also experience pressure because you want them to do well in their classes. As a parent, you might not lose your cool if they bring home a B in one class instead of an A, but you also don’t want their grades to slip to unacceptable levels.
You and your teen both know that they need to keep their grades up if they hope for an excellent college admission. Some schools won’t take your teen unless they have stellar grades, and they also have some extracurricular activities.
You must walk a fine line with your teenager. You want them to bring home good grades and have some out-of-school interests, but you also don’t want to push them too hard.
You must learn to apply gentle pressure as a parent. Your teen should feel motivated but not stressed.