Talking to teenagers

Anxiety learning lesson 2 When we experience anxiety something physical actually happens in the brain as well as the body. It may be helpful for us to look at what happens in the brain when we experience anxiety or panic. The brain is a complex network of different working parts, and certain parts are responsible for certain functions. When we lived as cavemen thousands and thousands of years ago, we needed the fight or flight response much more than we do today (although it depends what job or past time pursue as to how much you may need to rely on it) This response is what alerts us to threat or danger. It serves to keep us safe and instinctively choose the right course of action in an unsafe situation. The hunter gatherer, in the stone age, needed this response to survive. Now, in this age, we don’t need to use it so much. There is no real life threatening danger in the supermarket or the school playground, like there was running from a charging mammoth a thousand years a...

Anxiety learning week 1 I would like to start this series of blogs on anxiety by saying that I have suffered anxiety too large degrees, mostly in my 20’s and recently at 41, when I had become overwhelmed by taking too much on. This episode was short lived because after my training I had learnt to recognise the signs of anxiety and took steps to alleviate it and manage my self-care better.   My 20’s anxiety was a different story, there was an accumulation of stress through wrong choices, parent bereavement in my teens (Age 14) and an overriding feeling of lowered coping capacity (basically a belief that I couldn’t cope with what life threw at me.) This summary is a simplified expression of a difficult time, I don’t want you to misunderstand me. There are many causes of anxiety in adolescence and adulthood. Some causes are from early trauma, from a traumatic event in adulthood and some are genetic. Today we are going to learn about all different causes of anxiety, to ...

Is your teenager using cannabis? These are the tell-tale signs… Nearly 40% of teenagers in the UK said they have tried substances including cannabis and ecstasy, teenagers in Britain are more likely to have taken illegal substances than youngsters anywhere else in Europe. Most young people try cannabis in teenage years, parents expect it, it is a part of growing up. However, if ‘trying’ turns into regular use, that is causing you to worry about your teenager. Maybe it will help to communicate with your teenager The following signs could be an indication that your teenager is developing a dependence. ·        He/she becomes not motivated, loses an interest… Always been into sport, cars, playing the guitar, mountain biking etc… but now can’t be bothered doing the activity, instead watches these things on YouTube. Is not motivated to get to college on time, not motivated to earn some pocket money. Generally, turns into someone you would ...

I am 41 and my mum is the most supportive person I know, positive with my children, positive attitude in work, resilient and wise. The one thing my mum is a little of, is risk averse. There are many reasons for this, one being, living with my dad, her husband, who regularly did risky things that didn’t pay off. Last year I announced to her that I was going to swim the Solent in aid of the Ian Pratt MND foundation. I casually said ‘you know, swim from mainland to the Isle of Wight, hundreds of people have done it’. Hundreds of people haven’t done it in fact, but I decided to lie a bit to get her on board. She said ‘ I’m worried, it’s dangerous’ when that didn’t seem to have an impact; she said ‘ is it not a little irresponsible, you’ve got a husband and two children’ Driving these not so helpful responses was anxiety and love. As parents when we predict an outcome or share our worry, we are saying I can’t sit, feel and tolerate the anxiety. Don’t get me wrong, my mum has d...

Teenagers, Bullying, Paranoid Fearful Thinking…Social media and the fragile sense of self . My daughter had a 3 month break from social media this year, I wrote a post about it early in my blogging journey, the change in her was dramatic and enjoyable. Two weeks ago, she decided to go back onto Instagram, she is not enjoying it and is toying with the idea of another break. We have all read as parents the dangers of social media, most of us have experienced our child’s distress first hand. We have also heard the argument that social media means the child can’t get a break from criticism and being in the spotlight. The photos teenager’s post of themselves means they are there for them to agonise over their flaws repeatedly, and for their peers to analyse and comment on. Comparisons can be made to other people’s seemingly perfect lives, perfect bodies, fantastic families, holidays, outfits, academic achievement ect. When we were in our teens you knew the good things about...

How to emotionally meet your teenager…explore your own reactions Before I go on with this post, I would like to say that the following is what I aim for, it doesn’t always go to plan, no one is a perfect parent all of the time! It is too easy for us as parents to hold onto the feelings generated when we argue with our teenagers. Teenagers say some horrible things when they are angry, and they are usually angry when they can’t get what they want. We dwell on what is said, we find it hard to comprehend the unreasonableness of our teenager. We think and say loudly sometimes... what is going on, What planet is he/she on? They are on the planet of “self-serving, self-centred, peer orientated, urgent gratification, my needs matter more than anyone’s planet”. It is really really hard not to be hurt by their actions or some of the things they say in a temper. When my daughter was younger (primary school age) tantrums did not happen often, but when they did occur, they ...

Starting secondary…Strategies to ensure homework is completed A clear routine around homework is the most important thing when starting secondary and year 7 is the time to start it. There will not be any homework in the first week for the new starter, they may be asked to read something or write a small paragraph but in the main it will start to come midway into the second week. Here are some pointers to start as you mean to go on. Location Find the right location for completing homework, from my experience their bedroom is the wrong choice as there are too many distractions, and many children do not have a desk in their room to lay out their books. The dining room is a good choice, away from other children and the noise of the house, alternatively the kitchen table is an option after everybody has eaten. Timing Your child/teenager ideally needs to get into the habit of doing homework at the same time each day. Some children need a break straight after school ...