Whether your teen is in year 10, 11, 12 or 13, the spring term is the most intensive of the academic year. Run through our check list to see how they're getting on. They've lived through a term in this year group already, so there may be changes you can both make to improve their daily routine and make life easier.
Subject check
If your teen is in year 10 or 12, they will have started new subjects in September. Now is the time to see whether they're finding these subjects manageable or difficult. If they're struggling, there's a chance to speak to their subject teacher about what steps they can take to get a better understanding of their chosen subject. If they're not enjoying them at all, it might be possible to make some changes and switch to something different.
For those of you with teens in years 11 or 13, final exams are coming up in May. If your teen is finding it unmanageable to keep on track with all of their subjects, would it help their overall results by dropping one? This might give them more time to focus on other subjects and, ultimately, get better grades in the subjects they're finding easier.
Whatever year your teen is in, there may be other options. For example, the school might offer support sessions outside the classroom where they could get the extra help they need. Or you may consider private tutoring. A few dedicated sessions with a specialist could provide your teen with the key to information and techniques that click into place and help everything make sense.
Being equipped
It's likely that at the start of September you helped make sure your teen had everything they needed for the new academic year. This would have been wide-ranging, including uniform/clothes, stationery, laptops/tablets, phone, special equipment. Has this worked out? Is there anything missing? If so, can you help them make adjustments before this new term gets underway?
Do they have too much? Lugging around things they don't need each day isn't helpful either. It can be tiring carrying heavy bags. Rummaging through lots of clutter to find what they need could make them feel disorganized and overwhelmed. Now they know what's useful (and what's not!) , are they able to organize themselves more effectively?
Timetables
School timetables are carefully planned, but sometimes what your teen does as co-curricular or extra-curricular can leave them short on time when it comes to completing homework ahead of the next lesson. They should have created a homework timetable in the autumn term. Now they are more familiar with their own routine, they can adjust their homework timetable so it suits them better. For example, if they are very busy on certain evenings during the week, it makes sense to allocate more time for homework over the weekend, and vice versa. If they haven't created a homework timetable, now is the time for them to do this.
Knowing when they should be putting in time to achieve their goals will also help them plan their free time more productively - whether that's for doing things they enjoy or resting.
For teens in years 11 and 13, they need to ensure they're making time for revision. They'll have a better chance of exam success if they go over work they've done little and often in the lead up to exams, instead of cramming at the end of this term. Help them add in some time for revision, but make it realistic. A short amount of focused time is far better than allocating big chunks of time that they can't achieve.
Routines
Now that your teen has finished a term in their new year, how are their routines working out? Have they settled into a comfortable rhythm that gives them a balance between work and play. and doesn't leave them over-stretched and over-tired? Things to consider are:
Sleep
Sleep is probably the single most important factor in wellbeing. Lack of sleep will make your teen irritable, unable to concentrate, less likely to eat and drink the right things and more at risk of picking up illnesses.
It's fine for your teen to have late nights occasionally. However, the majority of the time they should have a fixed bedtime and getting-up time. Help them achieve this by making sure they're going to bed early enough to get the right amount of sleep to get up for school. Most teens need at least 8 or 9 hours sleep, so they need to be in bed by 10 pm to get up at 7 am. Don't forget - they should include some relaxing time before bed so they can fall asleep.
Family time
Their studies are important, but that shouldn't be at the expense of enjoying family time. This includes days out and holidays together, but don't forget short bursts of togetherness reinforce connections and provide security. Are you managing to have at least some meals together as a family each week? Do you regularly get time to sit down together and watch a film, programme on TV, make plans for the future or just chat?
Increasing their independence
You'll want your teen to become more independent as they progress through their teenage years, so they're better prepared to cope on their own once they leave home. Are there things you can introduce to help with this? Are there some small responsibilities they can take on that contribute to homelife and give them a sense of ownership? This might include making their own way and to and from school on some days now that they know they way and are familiar with their routine.
Celebrating success
Improving a routine involves evaluating the current way of doing things and making suggestions for change. It can be tempting to overlook things that are working well, as those are areas that don't require adjustments. However, we all appreciate hearing praise for things we're doing that are working out. Don't forget to highlight these as you work with your teen to refine how they're organizing themselves.
Broadening their experience
So that your teen can grow and develop, they'll need to try new things. They may have been nervous to do this in September, unsure what their new academic year would involve - especially if they were starting year 10 or 12. They may not have known what was available. Talk to them about long-term goals or interests they would like to develop. What steps can they take now to get them on track? Help the put together a plan to achieve these. For example, if they're interested in a career that involves writing or photography, is there a club or group they can join? If they want to improve their confidence, how about investigating debating societies, public speaking forums or different types of sports?
Whatever their future plans, they will enhance their prospects if they gain some work experience. Can you help them find opportunities? Is there somewhere locally where they can volunteer? They may need to make contact with several organizations before they're successful and this can take time, so it's good to start planning ahead.
Final words
New terms are a great reminder to check that your teen's day-to-day routine not only supports their mental and physical wellbeing, but is also helping them move towards the future they dream of achieving. If changes are needed they don't all have to be done at once, but great journeys start with the first step.
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