Transition to high school and dealing with the teen years

Transition to high school

Transition to high school can be stressful for children and parents alike. For all those new parents to high school here are some tips on guiding your teen towards becoming a resilient high school student:

• Listen and acknowledge the concerns your teen may hve BUT with guidance allow her to solve her own problems rather than solving them for her.

• Talk about organizational options with your child and allow them to come up with a plan that suits how they work. Being organized is the key to high school success. The sooner they get organized the easier it will be

• Allow your child the ability to learn from mistakes and get into the rhythm of how the school discipline system works. Resist the temptation to rescue, with your guidance they need to learn many new things including:

1. Get work in on time 2. Be at school on time.

2. Wear correct uniform.

3. Behave in class

4. Use cyber space wisely

All of which will be learnt a lot quicker if given the responsibility to learn these skills and suffer the consequences the school has in place.

Most importantly, allow your teen down time and reassure them that they will get there in the end.

Karen Rushbrook

kmrcounselling