How Parents Can Help De-Stress Teens

• Spend more time with your child, giving him or her plenty of time to talk about worries or pressure.

• Eat dinner as a family as many nights a week as possible, and have other rituals you stick to on an ongoing basis.

• Try to make sure your teen is eating and sleeping well.  Insist on a reasonable weeknight bedtime.

• Start a family practice using ways to relax, such as meditation, mindful breathing, visual imagery, massage, and keeping a journal or listening to quiet music.

What Teens Can Do to Reduce Stress

• Try not to let yourself get overscheduled.  If you feel overwhelmed, consider cutting out at least one activity per week.

• Set realistic goals.  No one is perfect.  Strive to do your best at school and at home, and ask for help if you need it.

• Take care of your body.  Eat a variety of foods, get to bed on time, and work on ways to relax.

Julie Mitchell is a San Francisco-based freelance writer who focuses on writing about parenting, technology, and food. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of San Francisco and is the parent of two teenagers. She recently started teenqueenmom , a blog about parenting teens.

• Previous Page
• 1
• 2
• 3