Exactly what do I mean? Growing up is an important phase of life which you really have to understand about once you’re a tween. People think that these matters aren’t important to think and discuss about with their children and the majority is really prudish about matters concerned with growing up. But that’s where we go wrong.
Once a person is about twelve, they’re declared as a tween. And once they are over thirteen, they’re officially teenagers. This time period between childhood and adulthood, when you’re neither a child and nor an adult, is a wonderful time in your life where you can know, learn and of course, chill out with your friends. But many teens are confused and find it difficult to cope with adolescence and the psychological disturbances that occur in the teenage years.
Basically, there is a hormonal rush in the body at the time of adolescence which brings about many physical and psychological disturbances in the body. These hormones affect the development of your body as well as your mind. The main mental issues that accompany the teenage period are unexplained aggression, mood swings, depression and feeling as if you were drifting away from your loved ones, especially your family.
Many teens feel confused about the sudden growth spurts in their bodies and feel that they need to confide all this to somebody close to them. While many gather up the courage to do it, some don’t even try to do this as they feel that whatever they are undergoing is something bad, formidable and a thing that is to be hidden from everybody; as a result, their feelings bottle up inside them and when they aren’t able to control anymore, these bottled-up feelings of confusion come out as various forms of mental issues.
In all these issues, the behaviour of parents towards their teens plays a very important role. Parents are the sole mentors of their teens and have to guide them through thick and thin so that they don’t feel perturbed about themselves and show an exemplary performance in all walks of life. Here are some points that will help parents identify, correct and prevent mental health issues in their teens:
- Break the ice. You may love your teen a lot and would want to give them some personal space but it’s important to have a conversation with them about things once in a while so that they share their problems with you.
- WShow them that you care. Every parent loves their child, but some showcase it more while others keep it hidden. It’s important for them to know that they can confide their feelings in you.
- Keep a track on their activity. Keeping a track of whatever your teen is interested in, their goals, hobbies and passions, helps a lot.
Sara Khalid
Class VIII