Teen Mental Wellness Day

​​​Adolescence can be a rough time for parents. At times, your teen may be a source of frustration and exasperation, not to mention financial stress. But these years also bring many, many moments of joy, pride, laughter, and closeness. 

It is an adolescent’s job to gain the confidence to be able to stand on his own.  As challenging as it is to watch our children grow up, it is critical to their well-being and to the health of our relationships that we honor their growing independence. When we hold them back they rebel against us. When we monitor their safety while guiding them towards independence – sometimes actively and sometimes by getting out of the way – they appreciate us. When our children know that we supported them to become independent, they will return to us for that interdependence that defines loving families well beyond childhood.

 What Teens Can Do:

 When feeling angry, worried or troubled, discuss your feelings with a parent, another trusted adult, or

a trusted friend. Teachers and coaches are two examples of adults who can help.

 Find safe and healthy interests that you enjoy outside of school and home.

 Write down some goals for the future to help you stay focused on things that really matter. This can

help you put day-to-day problems into perspective.

 Avoid using alcohol, tobacco and other drugs; these don’t help with problems and often make things

worse. Instead, think about positive ways to handle problems and the feelings that go along with

them.

 If you’re in trouble with your mood, drug use, or sexuality, get help. You never need to feel alone

What Parents Can Do:

 Listen to your teenager—let him talk out his problems with you

before jumping in with a solution. Teens need adults to believe

in them unconditionally and expect them to succeed.

 Encourage your teenager to get involved in activities that

engage her with the community in a positive way. For some

this may be sports or drama, for others it may involve tutoring

younger kids or volunteering in the community.

 Set clear expectations that you want to know where your teen is

and when he’ll be back. Discuss with him the consequences of

the use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.

 Help your teen to identify other adults to turn to when she wants to talk.

 Let your high schooler know that it’s okay to seek help from a counselor, health care professional, or

trusted adult, if needed. Students and parents are encouraged to be aware of the services available at

their school and how to access those services.

 Encourage your teen to explore solutions. In many cases, she will know about the solutions—for

example, extra help after school —but may need your encouragement to try them.

 Everyone experiences anger and stress! Help your teen to find acceptable ways of working through

these feelings.

As adults, one of the greatest things we can do for our teens is to equip them with a wide repertoire of positive coping strategies. They learn these strategies best when they see them modeled by the important adults in their lives.