By Lisa Damour, New York Times, Aug. 23, 2021
Adolescents are readying for the next step in a seemingly endless set of challenges. Here’s how to help them regulate their emotions.
Many teenagers are feeling understandably upset as they face a third school year disrupted by Covid-19. Some are frustrated about the return to masks and other precautions. Others are nervous about how they will stay safe at school, or worried about eagerly anticipated activities being postponed or canceled. They might be angry about the seeming never-endingness of the pandemic. As adults in their lives, how should we be trying to help them handle all of this turmoil?
First, let’s accept that any of these emotions, however unpleasant, are not harmful or grounds for serious concern. Rather, they are almost certainly evidence of mental health; teenagers who are unhappy about how this fall is shaping up are likely having the right feelings at the right time. What counts is how they regulate these feelings.
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