5min read
FREE online parenting courses
We have a range of free online parenting courses covering all ages and stages of parenting and family life.
We have a range of free online parenting courses covering all ages and stages of parenting and family life.
5min read
Many teenagers may be struggling with being in lockdown. They will have lost all the usual routine and this experience is tough for them. All of the things that they may have been looking forward to have been taken away from them.
Young people might feel as though they have been cheated of some of their experiences. They may be missing the last term at school or uni, exams, holidays or social summer events planned with friends. They may be missing their friends and when you are young, these experiences loom very large in your world.
Because of this, many will feel stressed out or may be displaying anger. Even if they recognise that it is no one’s fault, angry feelings can be overwhelming for teens. It can feel extremely unfair for this to have happened to them and their friends. It may be easier for adults to see the bigger picture. Adults can recognise that this will be over at some time in the future. For young people, however, this will seem like the whole of their life that has been taken away from them.
There is also the question of worry and anxiety. Will my parents stay safe? What about my grandparents? Am I safe from the virus? Of course, adults will have these feelings too. Adults will worry about elderly parents, or have fears for their own health. However, the emotions of young people may be harder for them to cope with.
Why is it harder for teenagers to manage their emotions? One reason is that at this age the structures in the brain that process and manage emotions are still changing and developing. These structures are not yet completely mature. Also, hormones play a part in helping us manage our feelings. The hormone balance for teenagers is more variable than it is for adults.
Talking is important, but …
Talking is important, but …
As a start, teenagers can use the quiz below or download a version of our feelings quiz to print off. This should be a way of starting to talk about some of the feelings they may have at this time. It should also lead to a discussion of anything that could be improved to make things a bit more manageable in the family.
This page was updated on April 2020
Being a new parent can be isolating – but there’s no need to be lonely. Getting out and about with your baby and meeting others builds a strong support network which can last through and beyond your baby’s pre-school years
Being a new parent can be isolating – but there’s no need to be lonely. Getting out and about with your baby and meeting others builds a strong support network which can last through and beyond your baby’s pre-school years