Tag Archives: teen stress

Wednesdays parent

Wednesday’s Parent: Stress During College Prep

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teen stressStress. It’s a killer. Parents and teens deal with stress on a daily basis; and when the college prep season arrives, the stress intensifies. Do you know what to expect and how to deal with it? Just as with any family situation, anticipating problems that can or might arise should help you respond properly and deal with stress during college prep.

Imagine these scenarios

  • Your teen announces he’s going to die if he doesn’t get into his first choice college.
  • You hear other parents talking about their student to his headed to the Ivies.
  • Your teen says she can’t possibly go to college because her boyfriend isn’t going there.
  • After multiple tries on the SAT, your teen announces that she’s never going to get into any college.
  • It’s been months since your teen started his essay and all he’s written is–“My life-changing moment is . . .”
  • On a college visit, your teen says, “I’m just not feeling it.”
  • Your son is sitting in the middle of his bedroom floor surrounded by college catalogs with a lost puppy dog look on his face.
  • Your daughter has a tentative lists of colleges that are completely out of your price range and she starts crying when you point that out.

What’s your first reaction?

First you walk outside and scream. How could you have possibly given birth to this person and who has taken over the body of your once agreeable child. Then you take a deep breath, and respond. Never, and I mean never, let your teen see you stressed and frustrated. Your attitude will rub off on them. Their stress will increase with your stress. So stay calm and remember that this too shall pass.

Where do you turn when you need help dealing with stress?

As luck would have it (or perfect foresight), tonight’s #CampusChat at 9PM ET will help you answer all your questions about teen stress, especially around the college prep process. On Twitter chat #CampusChat Wednesday, April 23 at 9pm ET/6pm PT, hosted by Wednesday’s Parent, guest Fern Weis of YOUR FAMILY MATTERS, LLChttp://www.yourfamilymatterscoach.com provides her tips and suggestions for dealing with stress during the college process. Later, check out Smart College Visit http://www.smartcollegevisit.com for a recap of the chat.

Read this to learn how to join the chat.

Read Wendy’s blog: Stressing Out the College Process

college guidance, college planning, parenting, Uncategorized

Tips for Helping Your College-Bound Teen Reduce Stress

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Is your college-bound teenager feeling stressed about going to college? Let your teen know he or she is not alone; it happens to a lot of college-bound teenagers. Teens feel stressed when they perceive a situation to be difficult, dangerous, or painful. Those going off to college often worry about finding new friends, fitting in with the college crowd, being away from home, getting good grades, and a number of other issues. What can parents do to help? Here are some tips to help your teenagers get rid of stress:

  • Listen: Ask what’s bothering them. Listen and don’t be judgmental. Allow your teenagers to express their opinions.
  • Provide emotional support: By showing your teenagers you care about their feelings, they will feel more connected to you. Don’t criticize or trivialize their stressful feelings. They may seem to be overstressed about about going to college, but remember that teens don’t have the same perspective as adults. Provide reinforcement by giving compliments.
  • Realistic expectations: If part of the stress is due to expectations of grades, be realistic with them about your own expectations of their grades.
  • Support: Encourage teenagers to spend time with friends and relatives who provide positive reinforcement. Friends can help keep your teenager happy and motivated. College students or recent college graduates can be helpful. They can put things in proper perspective and talk about the good times they had while attending college.
  • Be positive: Remind your teenager that these anxious feelings will go away. Encourage your teen to look at the fun aspects of attending college.
  • Teens expressing themselves: Creative activities such as painting, drawing, dancing, and singing reduce tension.
  • Exercise: Exercise releases hormones in the body which lower stress levels. Yoga and meditation relieve stress. Some experts believe sunlight relieves stress. Sunlight is important for the body’s regulation of chemicals, so exercising outdoors is a good option. Also, stressed teens should avoid caffeine drinks.
  • Sleep: Make sure your teen goes to bed early enough to get a good night sleep.
  • Volunteering: Helping other people can help your teen stop worrying about himself.
  • Relaxation: Breathing and muscle relaxation techniques can help your teenager relax.

Stress is a common problem for college-bound teenagers. By addressing the problem and taking action you can help your teenager get rid of stress.

Online Resources

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Brian Jenkins has been writing about a variety topics helpful to college students for BrainTrack since 2008. For more information about BrainTrack, visit our Facebook page.