LIFE BALANCING FOR TEENS

There is so much focus on balancing work and life for adults, but not as much for teenagers.

While teens may not be working full time jobs, they still have a ton of pressure to deal with. They are trying to juggle school, plus any after school activities, sports, part time jobs, and any responsibilities that they have at home.  On top of all this, most teens are just trying to fit in socially with their friends.

It is important for teenagers to know that they have someone to talk to if they are feeling stressed out. Let them know that they can approach you or a teacher at school if necessary.

Teens should learn how to set their own prioritises. Help them understand that they don't have to be a super student or over achiever. While most teens do have goals, these need to be realistic goals.

To help your teen set priorities, discuss with them what school assignments are due and when. Using an online calendar or app is a fun way to help them get organized. Show them your own priorities so they can see how you handle them.

If they have a lot of assignments to get through, instead of working on all of them each night, they may be better to tackle just one or two at a time.

All adults and teens, for that matter, want to be good at everything. They want to excel in their studies, they want to be good in sports, or get the lead in the school play. This often leads them to being involved in way too many activities at one time.

Talk to your teen about selecting just one or two things that they really enjoy doing. Focusing on just those, they will probably enjoy doing them more and will naturally excel at them.

As for school work and pressure, their hormones can be playing havoc with their feelings. If you see that your teen seems overly emotional, encourage them to discuss their feelings with someone if not you.

When it comes to dealing with all the complexities that high school and just being a teenager holds, try to lead by example so that your teenager will have fewer issues.  This leads to more balance for everyone!