Adolescent Problems: Help for Teens with Problems in School

Helping Adolescents with Problems in School

Establish Open Communication

Often, teens with problems in school need to talk about the issues they're dealing with and why those issues bother them. When they feel they don't have anyone to talk to, the problems are bottled up and their behavior and grades are negatively affected. Establish a safe environment at home, where open communication is encouraged. The more teens can open up about what's troubling them, the sooner they can deal with the issues and move on.

Search for the Root of the Problem

Once open communication is established, look to find the root of the problem. Most of the time, there is a specific issue at the heart of all the other problems going on in teens' lives. Sometimes, they know what the problems are, but sometimes they don't. As a parent, you'll need to ask questions that will help you discover what is truly going on. Begin by asking general questions about your teen's life to find out if the problems are based in his or her social life or in school work.

Get Involved

Adolescent problems also occur when teens don't have people actively involved in their lives. A lack of involvement from parents can cause teens to feel abandoned and isolated. Such feelings can lead to anger and frustration, which can lead to poor performance in academics and constant disciplinary problems. For this reason, it's important to be involved in your teen's life as much as possible. Participate in school activities and be sure to do things together with your teen outside of school.

Be Supportive, Not Combative

Teenagers may not be open to help right away. Instead, they may respond in a negative fashion by being rude or unappreciative. In addition, they may not want to communicate with you about the problems they are dealing with. When this happens, it's important to be supportive and not combative. Given the proper time, teens will usually come around and welcome the positive attention. However, if you try to rush them or force them to open up, the process will usually take longer and you run the risk of making the situation worse.