{"id":9793,"date":"2017-08-16T23:00:28","date_gmt":"2017-08-16T23:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/?p=9793"},"modified":"2017-08-20T23:05:02","modified_gmt":"2017-08-20T23:05:02","slug":"how-parents-can-help-their-freshman-teens-cope-with-stress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/how-parents-can-help-their-freshman-teens-cope-with-stress\/","title":{"rendered":"How parents can help their freshman teens cope with stress"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chris Palmer<\/a>, American University School of Communication<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Entering high school can be an exciting experience, but for some teenagers it can also be scary, intimidating and confusing.<\/p>\n

According to one study, approximately half<\/a> of all high school students feel a great deal of stress on a daily basis. As author and film producer Vicki Abeles<\/a> writes, there\u2019s a \u201cnationwide epidemic of school-related stress<\/a>.\u201d The cause? Abeles says that \u201cexpectations surrounding education have spun out of control,\u201d with excessive loads of activities, homework and sports.<\/p>\n

As I explain in my new book, \u201cRaise Your Kids to Succeed<\/a>,\u201d this stress can be excessive and even toxic<\/a> if kids are ill-prepared. Like many parents, I\u2019ve wondered what I could have done to help my teenagers adjust well to the first year of high school. As a parent and teacher, here\u2019s what I\u2019ve learned.<\/p>\n

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\n Don\u2019t let your teenager go through this alone.<\/span>
\n Sabphoto\/Shutterstock.com<\/a><\/span>
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Why all the anxiety?<\/h2>\n

A few of the factors that can cause anxiety for high school freshmen<\/a> include going to school for the first time with older, bigger, physically mature students<\/a> who are essentially adults. Your teen is now one of the youngest in the school, having come from a school where she was among the oldest and most senior. The change can be jarring.<\/p>\n

Your teen also has to get used to a new school building as well as new teachers and classrooms for every subject. I know from experience that teens might worry, perhaps even obsess, about their new teachers: Will I like them? Will they be too strict? Too hard to understand? They\u2019ll also likely worry about the work being too difficult, how they can achieve satisfactory grades and if they\u2019ll be able to make new friends.<\/p>\n

In some unfortunate cases, teens may also have to deal with bullying<\/a>, cyberbullying<\/a>, intimidation or sexual harassment<\/a>. Studies have shown that between 20 percent<\/a> and 80 percent<\/a> of K-12 students have been bullied.<\/p>\n

What can parents do?<\/h2>\n

How can you, as a parent, help your teen manage their anxieties in a healthy way? Here are six ideas:<\/p>\n

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\n Just talking to your teenager can be the first step in helping her cope with a new school.<\/span>
\n Monkey Business Images<\/a><\/span>
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