The senior years of school are an important milestone for both parents and children. For your children, it’s their hard work, self-discovery, and hard work, all in one final section of school. For parents, it’s a time when they are immensely proud, excited for their kids, and worried about their children taking the next steps and whether they are ready for it.
This time can be rewarding and challenging, and parents need to be as supportive as possible. You will need to provide them with encouragement and guidance and offer them support when they need it.
We’re going to have a look at some of the ways you can support your children when they start their senior years in school.
Understand The Level Of Academic Pressure
When your children enter their academic senior years, you will find that the level of learning can be overwhelming. They are juggling more advanced coursework, dealing with more tests, looking at building their college applications, and also taking on extra curriculum commitments. This can leave them feeling stressed and anxious.
You can help them by creating a great study environment for them at home and making sure that they have an organized and quiet space where they can sit and concentrate. Although you don't want to nag them to study, it's a good idea to encourage them to have a good study routine that also includes relaxation and breaks. Teach them about time management and help them build a schedule that helps them balance their responsibilities and their education.
When it comes to building their college applications, you should help with the research, read over any applications they fill out, look over any reviewing essays that they do, and also be there when they want to talk about the options and concerns about any colleges they are looking at. You may also want to go with them when they visit any potential colleges, as you will be able to point them in the right direction.
Provide Them With Emotional Support
Although you likely already provide them with emotional support as their parent,
senior year can be an extremely emotional time. They will be faced with the excitement of graduating and the anticipation of what their future may hold. They are leaving their home, losing friendships, and finding a new sense of responsibility to look after themselves.
You can help them by listening and validating, and then they would like to talk about it. Encourage open communication, which allows them to express their fears and hopes without you judging them. It's about being a soundboard rather than offering your opinion in most cases.
You should also make sure that you encourage self-care and help build healthy habits with them, such as eating balanced meals, getting sleep, and exercising regularly. You need to make sure that they have got this sorted out before they start college.
Every parent wants their child to succeed; however, you need to try and keep the stress and pressure as low as possible. Don't add any extra pressure, and remind them that their worth is not determined by their college acceptances or grades.
Building Social Skills
You will find that the social dynamics in senior year can change, and your children may feel more pressured to make the most of their last year while there with their friends. This is at the same time as preparing for transitioning to new places, such as college, where they will make new friends and experience different social situations.
You can help your children by being supportive of any friendships that they have. Encourage your children to spend as much time as they like with their friends if they have now so that they can create lasting memories; however, you also need to make sure that you're preparing for the reality that these friendships may come to an end as they move on to new chapters in their lives.
Talk about the use of social media and how it can both be a good thing and a bad thing. In one way, it's a good way to stay connected with old friends; however, it can also be a cause of stress and pressure. Talk to your children about how they need to maintain a healthy relationship with social media and how they shouldn't allow themselves to be drawn to it too much. They must know that social media isn't always the reality, and if they really want to keep in touch with people, it's best to have personal contact numbers.
Make sure you encourage your children to have a balance between social activities and also their education. While it's good for your children to enjoy their senior year on a social level, it should not be an expense of the future aims. This will also help prepare them for college, where the temptation to be more social is there.
Help Them Get Ready For The Next Step
Moving from school to college can be a huge change. This means that your children may need to have a lot of support to be with. You must get them ready by building the life skills that they need as they move into adulthood.
You should teach them
life skills before they move to college, such as cooking, doing laundry, budgeting, and managing their time. These aren’t skills that are taught at school; therefore, you need to make sure you are the ones to show them the way.
You also need to talk about financial responsibility. Whether they are starting life in a career or heading to college, you need to make sure they understand that they will now be more financially responsible for their budget and savings.
If your children are choosing to go to college, you can help them prepare for the move by talking through what they can expect. Talk about class choices, visit the local area with them, help them to build a CV, talk about interview skills, and help them find a job if they want to have one.
Help Them To Become More Independent
Although it can be nerve-racking to allow your children to be more independent, if they are able to live independently, this usually means that you have done a good job. Senior year is the perfect time to start giving them some more responsibility for their actions and decisions.
You can encourage decision-making by allowing them to make choices about classes, their career, and other areas like their personal life. You can guide them when they need it; however, step back and allow them to make their own choices. If it doesn’t go to plan, be there to help them rectify it.
As your children leave senior year, they will need to face challenges themselves; this means that they need to grow their problem-solving skills. If they are ever faced with a problem, allow them to figure out a solution before you step in to try and fix it for them. This will make them more resilient and also help them grow their confidence.
Your children are becoming adults, which means you need to respect the choices they make and give them some privacy. Even if what they do might be different from what you would have done, allow them to become adults and learn from their choices.
Encourage Open Communication
When it comes to a strong parent-child relationship,
open communication is the key to success. Your children need to know that they can come to you with any concerns that they might have without the risk of being judged.
Have regular check-ins with them without being pushy. Talk about how they are feeling and what might be worrying them. You don’t need to have serious conversations; they can be casual too.
The most important factor when it comes to open communication is for you, as the parent, to be approachable. This means you need to be a non-judgmental listener. Your children will be more likely to share their worries and thoughts with you this way.
Although it’s time for you to start letting go of some of your involvement, it is also important for you to remain involved in their life. Go to school events, talk to them about their education, and show an interest in their interests.
Talk about their plans and share your thoughts. This isn’t a way to control what they are doing; instead, it’s a way for you to share your thoughts and offer your support.
