Preparing Your Teen for the Future
If your child spends too much time playing video games, never cleans his room, or has little to no responsibilities at home, he may struggle to succeed at work and school.
While you don’t want to overload your teen with too many chores or jobs, keeping him busy during school holidays or over the weekend is a great way to ensure that he learns the value of work.
Balancing Work and School
If you’re comfortable with the grades your child receives, then a part-time job may provide much-needed discipline. Help your child look for a seasonal or weekend position that doesn’t interfere with his academic workload. Retail and restaurant jobs offer great training for teens. Working in a team environment, they learn valuable skills that will help set them up for success in the future.
Volunteer work also provides a great opportunity for your teen to interact with others in a professional setting. Hospitals, animal shelters and other local organizations typically have volunteer programs for teens.
College Considerations
According to the American Psychiatric Association, a recent survey revealed that this year’s freshmen college class has the highest stress levels in the history of the 25-year survey. While transitioning from high school to college can be a stressful and scary process, it’s also an exciting time for your teen.
Whether your child has been accepted to his college of choice or is still working on getting in, here are some ways you can better prepare him for higher education:
- Enroll your child in a college prep test course. Even if your child earns excellent grades, college tests play a big role in determining what school he is accepted to.
- Talk to your child about attending a community college close to home. Earning good grades, balancing a job and a social life, and living miles from home may be too much for your teen to handle. Once your teen completes prerequisites at a community college, he can move to a bigger school.
Children’s Mercy Hospitals and Clinics offers many opportunities to volunteer. To learn more, visit our website.
