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Help Your Teen Cope with Stress and Peer Pressure (PART I)

High school has notoriously been a time of stress and peer pressure for teenagers. However, teens today are dealing with a supersized version of the normal stressors. As Part I in a two-part series, TheAntiDrug.com tackles specific pressures facing high school freshmen and sophomores, and ways parents can help:

FRESHMEN: For the most part, high school freshmen are starting from scratch, making new friends, attempting to define themselves through an awkward time of growth spurts, hormonal changes, and new academic pressures. After acquiring “rank” in middle school, they are now back to being small fish in a bigger sea, and gaining popularity is important. They may be exposed to drugs and teen alcohol use for the first time, and may now know friends who are engaging in sexual activity.

Parents, start early!
•  Open a dialogue about drugs and alcohol early on and forewarn your teen about what they will inevitably encounter;
•  Encourage your teen to make positive friendships;
•  Make an effort to know your child’s friends and their parents;
•  Set rules and consequences, specifically about drug and alcohol use;
•  Role-play scenarios so that your teen has thought through decisions BEFORE getting into an uncomfortable situation.

SOPHOMORES: Sophomores are just hitting their stride in their second year. Friends are established, but they are still experimenting with new identities. Many sophomores turn 16, legal driving age, and will pressure their parents for more freedom, later curfew hours, and, of course, a new car. They will experience peer pressure in terms of what they wear, what they drive, and who is friends with whom. They’ll want more alone time and will naturally start separating from you, as their parent.

Parents, stay involved!
•  Spend a little time each day asking your teen what’s going on in school, both socially and academically—keep things in perspective for them;
•  Teens will think they know it all and that you don’t understand anything they are going through. Listen to them well, what they say AND what they don’t say;
•  Show your own vulnerabilities and be honest with your teen;
•  Allow your teen to succeed and fail on their own, but stay close by and provide guidance in both cases;
•  Refrain from saying “yes” to everything your teen asks for and continue to set limits.

Mentally, physically, and emotionally your teen is still growing even though s/he might look like an adult. Teens will push boundaries in order to explore the grown-up world, but they are far from being full-fledged adults. Encourage independence, but in small doses and with much guidance.

Be on the lookout for “Help Your Teen Cope with Stress and Peer Pressure (PART II), ” where TheAntiDrug.com will address pressures unique to high school juniors and seniors.

Encourage other parents to subscribe to this newsletter. Anyone can join the list by visiting TheAntiDrug.com and entering an e-mail address on the home page.

You have registered to receive biweekly e-mail notifications with parenting tips and strategies you can use to ensure that your child remains healthy and drug-free. Remember, when it comes to keeping kids drug-free, YOU MATTER.