A variety of issues could be contributing to the sudden drop in your child’s grades and participation in school. The pre-teen and teenage years are filled with physical, cognitive, and emotional developmental changes that can contribute to increased presentation of different mental health disorders and overwhelm different areas of your child’s life, including school. The sudden presentation of a rapidly changing body can be confusing, unwanted, and contribute to increased self-esteem issues and/or avoidance of others. You should also know these years are essential to the development of self-identity – a task that can involve the full range of emotions. This may be saying goodbye to friends that no longer support who your child aligns themselves with, discovering their own values, or a variety of areas that include the exploration of becoming a young adult.
In supporting them, always enter with curiosity. This may be a time to begin seeking therapy or it may be a time that your child is solely needing extra support from you, as their parent. Remember the school staff often see your child in a different light and can be a valuable resource for extra information and support. Wishes of “good luck” are often given to caregivers with children entering the pre-teen/teenage years. However, these well wishes are often forgotten for the youth going through these years themselves. Most importantly, remember the adult you wish you had during this time of your own childhood and seek to be this adult each day.
Isabella North, tLMHC, IADC, Residential Campus Therapist