Academic Pressure
School violence, peer pressure, drugs, and sexuality are popular topics when discussion land on teen issues. Suprisingly, a recent poll suggested that the primary concern for kids is what it was 40 years ago. Academics, the good ole ABC’s, is the primary concern weighing on the minds of most teens.
Stress, for some kids, is their constant companion. Seveny-six percent of the polled teens blamed school work for that stress.
“Sometimes it’s gonna be really stressful cause you’re gonna get down to the end one night and you’ve got a test the next day, and a paper due, and you know you have to do it,” said C.T., 17 years-old. Oftentimes the stress to get good grades and to get into college is amplified by eager parents. “Because too many times parents try to project on to their children, those things that they haven’t accomplished themselves,” said Dr. Sherwood Smith. Experts said that parents should let their children know that they have high expectations, but they must also be aware that too much pressure can cause a child to collapse. Encouragement is one thing and pressure is another.
What Parents Should Know
When a kid, as with anyone, becomes “stressed out”, it can effect them physically and emotionally. While stress is a normal part of life and is essential for growth, too much stress can lead to a multitude of short-term and long-term complications.
Exhaustion, breakdown and burnout are some of the short-term symptoms of someone that is overly stressed. A parent noticing these signs in their child, should look further into the problem, because stress can lead to more stress. Chronic stress can lead to many diseases, including heart disease, cancer, and depression. A child that learns how to handle stress at a young age will likely be better off later in life. Stress in the work place affects an estimated 45% of adults. A child that doesn’t handle academic stress is a candidate for becomming part of that growing number. On the other hand, a child equipped to handle stress in a positive manner, will benefit emotionally, physically and emotionally.
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“Sometimes it’s gonna be really stressful ... you’ve got a test the next day, and a paper due, and you know you you have to do it” --C.T., age 17 |
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Homework Time To help parents gauge the amount of time a child should spend each day doing homework, the U.S. Department of Education created some age-based guidelines. During first through third grades a child should average 20 minutes per day of homework. Fourth to sixth graders should be hitting the books for 20 to 40 minutes per day. The time table shoot-up to two hours for seventh to ninth graders |
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Get by with a Little Help From Friends When a kid has an obstacle with a certain area or subject in class, experts suggested a number of alternatives. Private tutors, though expensive, can help a child get through a particular subject that troubles him or her. The one on one contact usually helps many kids grasp things that which may slip by them in a class full of kids. Learning centers are also an alternative. Students are often put in small groups based on subject matter. These small groups couple peer interaction with instructor interaction. Peer tutoring has also proved to help. By working with people their own age that have a knack for a particular subject, many kids can quickly pick-up on the concept. |
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Resources
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U.S.
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