It may have been a bit fraught at home in the last few months, and tempers may have been pushed to the limit, but that is now over. The tension has been released, and regardless of the results, exams are now done, possibly for the last time. It may have taken some coercion on your part but is your teen that has done the hard work, and that needs to be recognized. You might not have a clue on how to deal with this situation, and it will be different for everybody, but there are some things you can use as a starting point.
Give Them Some Space
The first thing you need to do is take a step back and give them a little bit of space. If living with a stressed teen has been bad for you, just imagine what it must have been like to be them. They need to catch up with themselves, chill out, and pretty much ‘reset’. This might mean seeing them rise at 2 pm even more than they did before, and not hassling them to be there for family meals for a week or so.
Let Them Blow Off Some Steam
They’ve also got some catching up to do in the very important business of being a teenager. After they’ve reset themselves, they’ll probably want to make up for any lost socializing time while they were revising, so be willing to offer parental taxi services to where they want to go. This can also involve some late night or early morning pickups from parties, but after the few months they have just had, both they and their friends need it.
Give Them Some Days to Remember
This does not mean you can’t add to these memories, though. While you won’t be able to tick the same boxes as being with their friend groups, you can make some family days out special, and something that they will remember for a long time. For a teen with dreams of independence, one of the Driving experience gifts available might give them a special day, although it might be wise to mention to them that the Lamborghini or Porsche they drive that day isn’t going to be anything like their first car.
Give Them a Landmark Gift
The end of exams might well happen around the same time as a ‘big’ birthday, and this could be the opportunity to give them a landmark present. This could be something like the first car mentioned above, or at least gift some driving lessons to them, if that’s where they are on their journey. Your teen might not want this, and instead, a gaming laptop or top-of-the-range cell phone might be more appropriate.
A Few Final Thoughts
With the emphasis on academic results probably being greater now than it was when you were at school or college, you are likely to see your teen go through some tough times in the run-up to exams. While it might not have been a bed of roses for you either, you need to recognize what they’ve done right now, and not just when the results arrive. There are various ways of doing this, and whatever you choose, they need to be something your teen will remember.
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