I hope you had an amazing summer. I sure did, it was filled with excitement, surprises and new adventures. As much as I absolutely love my summers, I love everything that the autumn brings: a new routine, a new school year, a change of weather and foliage and new goals. I just love it!
I know that change isn’t easy for everyone, teenagers or parents. And if your teen is someone who falls into this category, I want to give them a few tips so you can both have an excellent school year.
Focus on what you can control
I completely understand how overwhelming and intimidating the new school year can be, there is a lot that’s going on that you have no control over and that can be frustrating. Maybe you started school and you aren’t in the class with your friends. Or perhaps you didn’t get the teacher you were hoping to get this year. These are all things that are out of your realm of control. Focus on what you do have control over: meeting new people, making connections with your new teachers, joining a new club and the list goes on. Remember as the school year gets underway, you will fall into your groove and this feeling will pass, but you do have to put effort and perhaps push yourself slightly out of your comfort zone for it to happen.
Set a goal for the new school year
What do you want to achieve this year? What do you want to learn? What do you want to change? Set a goal or goals for your year, it could be an academic, personal or even a social goal. Set the goal, and then brainstorm action steps to make it happen. Every week reflect on your progress and adjust wherever necessary.
Get yourself organized with a calendar
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Teenagers must learn to maintain a calendar that includes appointments, school work, meetings, sports, EVERYTHING. If you don’t know what you have going on, you will get overwhelmed. Far too often I see teenagers overcommitting themselves because they don’t keep track of what they already have going on. This is a life skill that you will carry with you throughout life. By the time you are in high school you must be the person keeping track of your appointments. If you aren’t, this is the time to start.
Seek help when you need it
There is no need to struggle in silence. If you are struggling to get yourself on track, or if everything is just too much for you to handle, reach out to someone with the resources to help you. If you don’t ask for it, it will not come to you. True leaders ask for help when they need it. It isn’t a sign of weakness, but a sign of humility and strength. When you reach out, you will find that people are more than happy to give you a hand.
I hope both you and your teen have an amazing school year filled with new experiences, excitement, growth and a ton of learning. If you are a parent of a teen struggling with the beginning of the school year feel free to reach out and we can discuss what is going on.
Much love,
Andrea
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