Australian Teenage Expo co-founder and youth expert Sacha Kaluri said “we as parents need to beware that teens can lose motivation to start school over the school holidays”.
“Just think about adults, no matter how much we love our jobs, when we go on holidays its always hard to get back into the swing of things at work when we come back.” said Mrs Kaluri
“It’s extremely common for young people to start the year with a cant be bothered attitude.” she said.
“Parents need to make sure they have regular conversations about how exciting the final years can be, it’s so much more than just education.”
Sonya Karras also co-founder of the Australian Teenage Expo said young people have often spent the last six weeks sleeping in, partying and hanging out with friends.
“School does not sound like a fun place to be, but really it’s the centre hub of socialisation.” said Mrs Karras
“You can have some of the best days of your life doing Year 12.”
Mrs Kaluri’s top 5 tips on how to get senior school students feeling positive and excited about starting Year 12
- Have positive conversations at home with family and friends about all the various good things school has to offer other than education.
- Listen when they speak. When young people talk to their parents about subject selection-get involved and be positive
- Remind them of the fun they will have. There is more to school than education. Maybe even reflect on the fun you had at school
- Relationships with teachers will change. Teachers behave differently towards senior students; they treat them more like adults.
- Make sure they are doing subjects they will enjoy. It’s not just about your future, careers and the final score. The more you enjoy school the better you will do.
Mrs Kaluri said one of the worst things that can happen is to start Year 12 under pressure. Know it’s importance of course, but you need to make sure you don’t begin being stressed out.
“I remember working with a student that was under so much pressure to have a perfect score at the end of Year 12, that she was having severe anxiety just at the thought of starting the year.” Sacha said
“Going into first term of school with a positive vibe is an essential mind set”.
“Start the year with some goals that are not only achievable but you are excited to stretch yourself further than you thought possible”.
“Young people want to succeed, but they want to have fun as well, don’t lose sight of the fact that life has to be enjoyable, get them involved in things they enjoy”. said Mrs Kaluri
“As parents we have to remember not to try and relive our lives through our children, its with their own mistakes they will learn the best lessons. Life is a journey and they have their own lessons to learn”.
“Remind them that’s it one step at a time and no matter how big the work load will get through the year, you will always be there to support them. It might be an idea to help them to lighten their load they have with work, money and also household chores” Mrs Kaluri says
Click here for more information about the Australian Teenage Expo
How do you motivate your teens when school starts again? Tell us in the comments section below..
