Growing up is so hard and our kids second guess themselves even more than we do as parents. Here are some valuable life lessons that may enable them to be more confident in their decisions.
Your education and grades are important but they do not solely define you. Some people don’t test well, some people do. Your GPA is not the ultimate indication of your intelligence or future success in life. And college isn’t for everyone. Do always try your best at school and don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need help better mastering a new concept. Don’t beat yourself up if some subjects never come naturally to you.
You do not need to be in a romantic relationship to enjoy your high school years. You might even enjoy them more if you’re not. Relationships take a lot of work; friendships are infinitely more fluid and easy.
Choose your friends wisely. They will help define your reputation greatly. Choose them based on their actions and character. If you choose friends you respect, enjoy and admire then they will become lifelong friends. This is one of the best gifts you can ever give yourself.
Don’t forget about your roots. It’s so easy (and natural) to get caught up in a newly found social life with new friends but slow down and go home to hang out, too. You have no idea how much your parents and younger siblings are missing you right about now.
You will start to have BIG feelings you don’t understand. You may be overjoyed one moment and seriously pissed off the next. Hard as it is to imagine, your parents were teens once, too, so ask them questions and explain how you’re feeling. You’ll be surprised by how much they get it.
Don’t be in such a hurry to grow up. Life will never be this carefree again. Adulting is hard and completely overrated.
Stretch yourself a little – join a new club, sit with some new people at lunch, attempt a new sport. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. This is your time to figure out what your passions and interests are. Will it be awkward at first? Probably. Will it be worth it? Definitely.
Set boundaries with physical affection. You have the rest of your life to be sexually active. Respect your own rules and body and those of your boyfriend/girlfriend. Sex does not equate to love. Most of the time it doesn’t even equate to strong like at such an early age.
Take good care of your body. Exercise, don’t eat so much junk. Get enough sleep, brush your teeth, wash your face often. This body has to last you your entire lifetime.
Never, ever compromise your beliefs just to fit in. You are unique and exquisite just the way you are. Your people will recognize this about you so just be genuine.
Having second thoughts about your less-than-admirable behavior or who you’ve become? Change it. Growing up is trial by error. You’re going to fail yourself, fail a test, fail a friend, fail your parents’ trust. But if you can recognize and admit this, you can repair it and move on.
You will experience big disappointments – you didn’t get asked to the dance, you were shunned by someone you thought was a close friend, you didn’t get into the college you wanted……the list will go on. But so will you and it will be ok. Life has a way of knowing what we need and when we need it.
Fantastic article.