Starting High School: Helping Your Teenager Adjust

BY DR. PAUL ROUMELIOTIS

Reprinted with permission

Starting high school can be a very exciting time for an adolescent. It can also be very confusing and quite scary for some teens. There are many changes from primary (elementary) school. Many teenagers "go backwards" for a while as they learn to adjust to the new changes. The new changes or challenges a new high school student faces include:

Body image changes

Your teen is going to be in a school with older more physically developed students who are virtually adults. This may be stressful for a new student entering high school, especially compared to the previous year when he or she was the oldest in the school. Don't forget that your teen too, is about to enter or already has begun puberty.

School system changes

When they start high school it is usually a much bigger place with many more students and they are at the bottom rather than the top of the school. Unlike, primary school, high school students, usually have different teachers and classrooms for every subject and this can be very confusing. As well many high schools uses a 4 or 6 day cycle which is something new for the first year high schoolers. Increased class size, less individual attention and more competition may overwhelm your teen at first. Also, now is the time when new students have to begin learning independence in order to succeed in college or work after high school.

Social changes

Their friends may be going to different schools or be in different classes so they may need to make new friends. The new high school student may worry about finding new friends and peer groups. The large size of your teen's new high school could be overwhelming and even intimidating.

What stresses the new high school student?

For a teenager just starting high school, all of the above changes can can make him/her very anxious. It is not uncommon for new high school student to feel:

lost and confused

missing old school and old friends

lonely and unhappy (until new friends are made)

worried that he/she will not be able to cope with the new demands

worried that he/she will not "fit in"

worried that he/she will not live up to parental expectations

Signs of stress

Your teenager may show his/her stress in the following ways:

being irritable and short tempered

being disagreeable or not wanting to talk

changing behavior such as silliness or rebelling

stomach pains, head aches or not wanting to go to school.

If these symptoms persist beyond the first few weeks of school, parents should speak to their school and try to address the source of the stress to their teenager. Click here to read more about school phobia or avoidance (on Dr. Paul Roumeliotis' website.)

The bottom line though, is that most students adapt very well, and learn to appreciate the new found independence that high school has to offer.

About the author: Dr. Paul Roumeliotis is founder and  former Director of Montreal Children's Hospital's Asthma Centre and Pediatric Consultation Centre. He has information at DR. PAUL's Child Health and Wellness Info Site.

© Autograph Communications Inc. Reprinted with permission.

How can parents help?

Parents of course, are stressed too especially in this day and age where students have a lot of homework and when school can be such a source of stress. However parents can help ease their teen's transition pains(and their own) by being open and understanding. Often, sharing parental experiences will help.

Here are some other tips/information that parents can use to help their teenager adjust to the new high school setting:

Reassure your teenager that it is normal to feel confused and unsure at first and that most others will be feeling the same way.

Give your teenager as much control as you can (within sensible limits) over the wardrobe so he/she feels that he/she "fits in".

Reassure your teen that he/she already knows how to make friends because of the friendships she has made in the past.

Help your teenager keep in touch with old friends and be welcoming to new friends. Make it easy for your teen to entertain at home. Make your home the place teens want to be. Be available to discreetly supervise and encourage your teen to have friends over for dinner or to study and meet their parents.

Help your teenager set up a homework routine that helps him/her to manage home work and still have time for relaxation and friends.

Be a good and supportive listener but try not to give advice too quickly. Problems that young people can solve for themselves help to build confidence.

Encourage your child to join school activities, a great way to make new friends.

Be patient with your "more that usual" irritable teenager for the first few weeks.

Get involved in the PTA or other parent organizations and go to school functions

AND IMPORTANTLY: Do not forget that despite their age, teenagers still need parental affection, love and support.