Reasons Teen Stress Occurs
When your teen is stressed-out, you can usually tell by her mood. She might be cranky, tired or irritable around the house. But being stressed is about much more than a bad mood because a high level of stress can also cause headaches, a lack of sleep, a lack of focus and changes in eating habits, according to the UCLA/RAND Prevention Research Center. By figuring out what stresses your teen the most, you can work on lowering her stress so she doesn't have to deal with the negative effects.
-
School
-
Your teen's education is supposed to be a benefit, but when she's constantly bombarded with tests, homework, assignments and class, she might not be able to juggle it all. Add that to her high expectations of herself and expectations that you as a parent might hold and schoolwork can become one of her main problems. By helping your teen create priorities for her schoolwork and manage her expectations, you can help reduce some of the pressure that accompanies school in general.
Friends
-
Whether it's pressure to fit in with a certain group, trying to juggle friends with all of her other obligations or dealing with her first relationships, a social life takes a lot of work and time. Sometimes, the stress can be minor -- two friends having a misunderstanding, wishing a boy would notice her -- but they can also be serious, like problems with bullying at school. Stay dialed into your teen's social life and talk to her about any potential warning signs or toxic relationships.
Family
-
While you hope that your home is a haven for your teen, family disagreements and changes can place stress on your teen. As your teen gets older and closer to becoming an adult, she naturally will seek more independence. As a parent, the way that you manage that independence could be one of your teen's biggest stresses. Add that to sibling rivalry or changes to your family makeup -- moving, divorce, new babies -- and family life can add a whole new layer of pressure to a teen.
Schedules
-
Your has a lot riding on each day of the week. An packed schedule can run your teen ragged and reduce her ability to get enough sleep, enjoy leisure activities or even eat a balanced diet. When extracurricular activities, school, a part-time job, chores, a social life and all of her other obligations combine, it can be seriously stressful. By looking at your teen's cramped schedule and reducing some of her obligations -- dropping piano lessons if she'd rather focus on dance, for instance -- can help reduce some of that pressure and help you show your support for things that are important to her, notes the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
-
-
While it is upsetting for parents, most teenagers have told a lie at some point or another. Teens lie for various reasons, and parents must decide which lies to address and which to ignore. If your teen lies to spare another persons feelings, it may
-
While you might not be able to pry your teenage daughter off of her cell phone, the minute you ask her a question, she might clam up. Teen girls often have the gift of gab, but that doesnt mean your teen will be willing to tell all to you as her pare
-
Some girls are just naturally rough and tough. They prefer playing baseball or building forts over playing with dolls and dressing up. Theres nothing wrong with this. However, as your daughter enters adolescence, she may begin to begin feeling differ
