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Take Control of your Teenager | No Thanks |
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| Teens in Tenth Grade |
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Sophomore Year: A Growing Familiarity Becoming a sophomore after what may have been a grueling freshmen year, can be a relief for a teenager. As your adolescent enters tenth grade, he has now become accustomed to high school and may have already found his place in his own social circle. He may also be more comfortable with the different academic pace and curriculum. For guys, their bodies are finally physically maturing up to the pace of the girls. In general, adolescents are realizing the reality of their situation and appropriating goals accordingly. More teenagers are becoming aware of their bodies and seek assurance. This may be a time when eating disorders may particularly arise. A general reassessment of what your teen may really want in his friends or his peer relationships may occur. A deeper level of honesty and faith in a peer relationship may be what your teen may be looking for. Your child’s ideals may dominate his assessment of peers, and relationships may be lost. But many other teens may be experiencing the same feelings at this time, and this may result in deeper peer relations as well. Continuous Change A teen’s set group of peers may distinctly change in sophomore year and may go on adjusting up to his junior year. Relationships at home also undergo change. This is a time where teens find “refuge” in their bedrooms. The atmosphere at home may be described as unstable or as an explosion waiting to happen. This may be because of the wrong expectations and bad timing. It is true. Timing can be everything. If you want to talk to your teen and get him to open up to you, don’t approach him at a time where it appears as if communicating with another is the last thing on his mind. Giving your teen his space and encouraging a relaxed atmosphere may be just what he needs to comfortably talk with you. As a parent, you must understand that a teenager coming home from school rushing to tell his parent every detail of his day, is not the norm. Choosing what one would like to share with his parents, is a part of this stage in adolescence. Sophomores may begin to seek more independence while having you behind them as well. Self-Assessment Seeking direction is another characteristic of sophomore year. This may be a tricky time for both you and your teen as he may be in a state of confusion as to what he may really want. Your child may even consider transferring to another school. Do not be taken aback by these feelings, at some point in your teen’s high school life they will want to assess where they are at it terms of what they want in their adolescent lives. |
