Teenager Talks Understanding the Pressures of Being a Teenager

Teenagers today are more stressed than they ever were earlier. And even though one likes to believe that they are brimming with thoughts and ideas, they have it all so easy and do not have any problems in life, the case may be quite the contrary. Parenting is becoming more and more challenging as we are marching into technological modernisation and the lines between reality and virtuality are blending. Added to it is the stress of being a working parent. It is only a tooth fairy tale to assume that we have been able to bridge the generation gap due to being liberal in our outlook. Let's face the truth - the gap has increased manifold and at a mind boggling rate. With technological advanced gen z, even the most modern, well educated and advanced parents are at their wits end when it comes to handling their 'bundles of joy.' Yet, despite the leap in time, many of us apply age old parenting techniques. We may not be completely aware of the impact that this immense exposure to augmented reality has had on our children. A lot of us wish that there were schools that showed us the way for parenting this new harvest of youngsters. But even after the self exhausting exercise of trying to do the best for them, we feel as if we are falling short of our own expectations. As the youngster unfolds into becoming a teenager, the parent and progeny divide seems to widen. Strifes, disagreements, altercations become ingrained in day to day lives.For the youngsters, the difficulty level of leading life becomes higher. They are struggling with hormonal and biological changes impacting their body, mind and emotions. Running parallel to that are academic pressures, high expectations, peer pressure, unlimited exposure to media and networking. Also new in their life could be addictions and romance. They are not experienced to handle any of these things and often experiences stress, anxiety, anger and depression.Those stresses could due to petty and menial causes but become huge because of the lack of understanding and negligence by people around them. Sometimes, the solution is as simple as assuring, "Go on, I'm listening..."We often hear distressed parents shaking their heads in disdain at their inability to put forth their point of view to their adolescent. Through this book, I have tried to bring the other side of the story, by narrating first hand experiences of some teenagers. I have also added some of my own heart touching experiences as a teacher. Subtly underlying are some messages that I would like to give to the youngsters, who should never underestimate the wisdom of the elders. I have also shared my opinions on what parents might do in difficult situations. This is my attempt to reduce the gap between generations. I have no intention to preach or to be judgmental. All these are merely my observations with bonafide intentions. I reiterate my belief that solutions to complex problems can be found in a simple way if they are nipped in the bud. Sometimes, all that a teen needs is a patient ear, understanding and attention, definitely not an overdose of the same. It would be great to have a clarity regarding what one may do and what one can't. It is unreal to think that the talked about issues do not exist. And if they do, they cannot affect your child. Rather, accept that your progeny exists in this world that is replete with various issues. Educate the youngsters about them. Build their confidence so that they can trust you. Establish clear cut rules and parameters for things like driving, dating, drug and alcohol use. If an adult discusses and talks about these issues in a friendly way, teenagers don't feel rebellious. Most of the teenagers are chilled out and will understand if parents don't always have all the answers, and if you acknowledge that you might not always be right. You must always listen to their opinions