Now that it’s time to hit the books again, the new school year can also
bring new interests.
That overflowing schedule of school, homework, sport’s practice, music
lessons and chores can take a toll on your teen.
“It’s normal for teens to feel stress at times,” says Edward
Christophersen, PhD, clinical psychologist with Children’s Mercy
Hospitals and Clinics. “But your teen may need to slow down if you
notice their heart starts racing, they complain of tummy aches, they
complain of headaches or they don’t want to go to school.”
Teens may feel pressured to participate in different activities whether
it’s by parents or peers. Dr. Christophersen says signs of activity
overload may mean your teen is too busy. Dr. Christophersen offers
these tips:
- Be a good role model. Set limits on your own activities, stay
organized and practice good stress-management skills.
- Family time. His free time should be spent with family first
and extra curricular activities second.
- Set limits. Have her play one sport per season, or limit
activities to two evenings during the school week.
- Know when to draw the line. If you feel he’s involved in too
much, say no to new activities or talk about dropping one for another
one.
“The child may not want to drop an activity and that’s a normal
reaction,” Dr. Christophersen says. “This is a good learning experience
because your teen will go through the process of deciding what to do
and then eliminate an activity. Then she will see that she can really
deal with this kind of decision making.”
Dr. Christophersen says all individuals - adults, children and teens -
need some downtime. It’s important your child have time to enjoy being
a kid. This should be time to not worry about school, work, sports or
clubs.
