• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Promotivia

Ideas. Innovation. Excellence.

  • Home
  • Topics
    • Family
    • Furniture
    • Health
    • Education
    • Pet Care
    • Construction
    • Marketing
    • Technology
    • Transportation
  • Ask a Question
  • Contact Us

Coping with the Stress of Growing Up

Last updated on May 29, 2012 by Sozo Staff Leave a Comment

As a parent, perhaps you enjoy looking at your own youth through rose-colored glasses. If you take them off and let yourself remember the realities as well as “the good old days,” you’ll probably remember exactly what a landmark research project conducted by the University of Minnesota revealed: “Growing up—negotiating a path between independence and reliance on others—is a tough business.”

Do you remember the hard stuff? Growing up is indeed stressful, even under the most ideal circumstances such as good health, positive family relationships and friendships,  academic success, and financial stability.

According to the Minnesota study, major problems, such as serious depression and suicide attempts, tend to favor adolescents who are “people ill-equipped to cope, communicate and solve problems.” They also accompanied those with at least two life events perceived as negative within the last six months. Here are a few of the most commonly cited blemishes on the faces of their lives:

  • Contention with parents
  • Romantic frustrations
  • Friction between parents
  • Sibling rivalries
  • Illnesses or injuries of loved ones

Just like adults, some teens have trouble coping with conflict and loss, whether that loss is real or perceived. Many are able to cope using positive, healthy strategies such as finding a relaxing hobby or looking to intact friendships and family relationships for support. However, others seem unable to cope well with life’s difficulties. These inherently troubled teens are different from those with ordinarily healthy coping strategies who simply get overwhelmed.

When multiple major life changes and stressors pile up, even healthy teens can lack the maturity to put them in their proper place. According to the Minnesota study, those who attempted suicide had other major events on their mind, such as these:

  • Divorce of parents
  • Transfer to a new school
  • Failing grades
  • Loss of a close friend
  • Personal injury or illness

Even if your child normally exhibits excellent coping mechanisms and has a fabulous support system in place, when these kinds of difficulties come up, he or she may need extra support. Sometimes, that support is something you, as a parent, cannot offer. Your teen needs a good listener who isn’t personally affected by the issues at hand and won’t take offense at negative feelings.

Keep in mind that problem-solving skills don’t come naturally; they need to be taught. If your teen isn’t under major stress, it’s only a matter of time before they’ll be confronted with such opportunities for their coping skills to be tested. In the mean time, you can model such skills by talking them through how you deal with hard times. You may even want to discuss negative coping techniques you’ve used or seen used in the past, and how they have negatively affected lives. By making yourself vulnerable in this way, you can open the door to communication from your teen if or when coping becomes difficult.

Filed Under: Family

Additional Articles

young girl swimming underwater with goggles
Teaching Your Child To Swim: The Four Basic Strokes, Part 4
Teaching Your Child To Swim: The Four Basic Strokes, Part 3
young girl hugging dog
Be Prepared for Unexpected Company with the X10 Driveway Sensor/Alert Kit
mom and dad grinning with two children
Set Up a Basic X10 Home Automation System Using These Quick, Easy Steps, Part 2
husband and wife sitting on couch watching tv
Set Up a Basic X10 Home Automation System Using These Quick, Easy Steps, Part 1
young teen girl leaning against pool wall
Teaching Your Child To Swim: The Four Basic Strokes, Part 2

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

10 − 10 =

Primary Sidebar

Jackrabbit Class Software

Popular Articles

  • Expandable Children's Furniture at The Bedroom Source
  • African Mahogany Lumber vs Genuine Mahogany Lumber
  • The City Way: Taking Your Child’s Bed to the Next Level with Maxtrix!
  • Perfect Furniture for a Boy's Bedroom, Pt 1
  • Perfect Furniture for a Boy's Bedroom, Pt 2
  • How Do You Treat Reactive Attachment Disorder?
  • Ultra-Budget-Friendly Swimming Pool Upgrades
  • Why Sleep Is Important for Young Athletes
  • Why Parents Love Jackrabbit Class Management Software
Swimming pools

Recent Articles

  • Good News: These Three Problems Aren’t RWIs
  • Nuts & Bolts of Priority Enrollment for Your Swim School
  • The Sun, Your Swimming Pool & Your Skin, Part 4
  • The Sun, Your Swimming Pool & Your Skin, Part 3
  • The Sun, Your Swimming Pool & Your Skin, Part 2
  • The Sun, Your Swimming Pool & Your Skin, Part 1
  • Teaching Your Child To Swim: The Four Basic Strokes, Part 4
  • Teaching Your Child To Swim: The Four Basic Strokes, Part 3
  • X10 XX62A Outdoor Wireless Camera Offers Accuracy & Convenience, Part 2
  • X10 XX62A Outdoor Wireless Camera Offers Accuracy & Convenience, Part 1
Home automation with X10

Recent Comments

  • Aika on Can Bedroom Furniture Help Your Child’s Mood & Academic Performance?
  • WAYNE Prokosch on It’s an Ipe Thing
  • Amanda Drew on The Wood Drying Process
  • Hannah on Quality Western Redcedar Lumber
  • Hannah on Is Ipe Decking Lumber Right for You?
  • Sheryl on Quality Western Redcedar Lumber

Copyright © 2021 Sozo Firm Inc · Privacy Policy · Disclaimer · Sitemap