Tips on how to connect better with your teenagers.

A common question from students coming to see me, is how best to manage their study stress, oftentimes linked to expectations they believe are placed on them. While school-work and grades are absolutely important, it’s also imperative that children know their caregivers care about them no matter what their results might be. And while this may seem glaringly obvious to parents and caregivers, sometimes it can get lost in translation during adolescence.

Finding the positives in each day is a great connection point for families. An easy way to practice this is to ask ‘What went well for you today/this week?’. It might not be that they got an ‘A’ in that test they had on Monday or that they finished all their homework, but that they helped a friend who was going through something tough, or they played really well in their basketball game. This can help encourage more meaningful conversations and remind kids that everything about them is important.

Headspace are currently running a group for parents called ‘Tuning into Teens’. It offers parents strategies to assist with:

Understanding adolescent emotions and development

Ways of communicating with each other more effectively

Strategies to manage conflict

How to build stronger, healthier relationships

The group is run on Wednesdays (5 May – 9 June) 10am-12pm @ Headspace Darwin. If you’re interested, please email Lauren: ljanes@anglicare-nt.org.au or call 8931 5999

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