By the time a teen has come to the end of their senior year, a substantial amount of developmental markers have been reached and are being celebrated.
Being the parent of a 12th grader requires quite a lot of support, encouragement, and guidance.
Teens in their senior year of high school have made big decisions regarding their futures and careers, and it can be easy to allow the stress of their final year to contribute to their well-being.
Below are a few practical tips for parents to help their 12th grader finish high school strong:
- Prioritize commitments – Senior year is FULL of exciting events, celebrations, banquets and activities. It can be easy to get caught up in attending and participating in every experience offered, but this can take a toll on your 12th grader, and take the focus away from their own experience. Sit down as a family and discuss which activities are important to your teen, and which are important to parents to find compromise while celebrating your teen’s achievements.
- Build in time to celebrate – In all the hustle and bustle of making decisions about career futures and college choices, it can be easy to to forget to stop and celebrate what your teen has accomplished. It isn’t easy to finish high school, and it can be rewarding to ‘hit pause’ and spend an evening celebrating your teen, even before graduation night.
- Keep doing the things that keep your family healthy – Life is all about balance—attending to our daily responsibilities within our family and making sure we are continuing to attend to our own health. As parents, it’s important to continue to encourage your teen to keep practicing self-care activities as their senior year intensifies. Some common self-care activities include: spending time with friends; exercising; eating healthy foods; spending time on one’s spirituality/religious activities; and taking small vacations.
Sarah Brookings, MA, LPC
SBrookings @ GROWcounseling.com
Photo Cred: klbradt
