Adolescents strive for freedom and autonomy; thus, communication with their parents needs to be enhanced.
Building solid healthy relationships at this stage of their lives is of utmost importance to help them cope with the changes and challenges they are experiencing. When kids grow up, melting into teenagers they go through various changes either it is mentally, physically or emotionally. During that period they go through anxiety, confusion, an imbalanced Diet, stress, academic pressure and so on.
Effects on their Mental well-being:
- Self-doubt: Some parents never understand what their child wants, why he wants something, never ask him so deeply about his/her decision. In such cases, when knowing the story behind the decision they just speak negatively about their choices. Then, children gradually grow up the seeds of self-doubt.
- Anxiety and Frustration: Hormones are negatively impacting the teens during their puberty period and when they need someone in coping with the mood swings and emotional imbalances then the parents want to be only parents rather than be a friend, healer or a helper.
- Abandon career choices:Parents sometimes get so over possessive that they are blind to see the happiness of their child. Let’s suppose a child wants to pursue a career in sports but parents want him/her to choose medical as a career. Then, can you imagine how much a child’s personal life, career life and mental well-being totally deteriorated. The one even not able to speak because they never left an option to choose.
- Rivalry with the Parents: When parents do not value their child’s choices, ideas and emotions then children start hating them. They start making boundaries with them, they start hating them. Even they hate being their child.
- Feeling of helplessness: Adolescence is a stage where a child goes through various shades and ups and downs. At this crucial stage one needs validation from loved ones, moral support, emotional help, warmth and love. They totally feel helplessness which leads to crying spells, worthlessness, and loneliness.
How to water the child during Adolescence? (Parents and Counselors)
- Be an ear: During that period, Parents deal with their child in a delicate manner. Parents should handle their child gently. Listen to what they try to say, understand their words, and value opinions.
- Show confidence: Some parents think they see the whole world, they have utmost experiences about life and their children do not have. But they need to understand that according to their era the child may have much knowledge comparatively with the parents. Parents first listen and show confidence about what their child is choosing and why they are choosing.
- Awareness towards the approach: Make Parents and child both understand how they react towards each other. Plan workshops in schools regarding the mental well-being of the child. Parent-teacher training programs should be there so that school counselors can provide tips regarding parenting styles.
- Do not become a burden for their child: Sometimes parents just force their choices without asking if the child is happy or not. They do not even think about their child’s happiness, what they care about is society and reputation. When parents do that seriously, the child feels suffocated, exhausted and low self-esteem.
- Be a safe space: Try to be a friend, create a sense of belongingness, a safe space where they can easily release their emotional burden, they can easily breathe without having second thoughts, they can feel loved, heard and valued.
Let’s break the chain of Parenting stigma. Create a safe space so that they can earn whatever they want without having mental issues. Offer them a chance to discover their potential. So they can rock and roll.
Blog By : Himanshi Giri (Role of Home in Adolescent Wellbeing)