Help Your Teen Plan for the Future
Many teens are confused about what they want to do when they leave high school. It would help to brainstorm with your teen about their strengths, weakness’, and interests to get a better idea about their options for the future.
Encourage your teen to do research on different careers they are interested in. Part of that research could be talking to experts in the field (family friends could be a great resource) or job shadowing for a few hours or a day.
Some teens need more time before they can make a decision and may want to take a “gap” year. Such a year needs to be planned carefully with expectations clearly outlined and with consequences should those expectations not be met. The one situation to avoid at all costs is an unemployed late teen in your house on social media all day. That is a recipe for depression and for increased anxiety and paralysis! Expectations need to include financial contributions, and tasks at home. A gap year does not have to be at home but could be an experience out of state volunteering in a program that might interest them, for example. There are lots of possibilities open to them when your teen graduate high school!
Try not to shoot down their aspirations. Instead, help them make a plan as to how they intend to take the next steps. And if they are not being realistic, give them enough room to discover that for themselves.
If they are choosing to go to college, there will be lots of support from the school and online resources. If they are truly motivated and capable of managing college, they will be proactive. If not, do not do it for them. Encourage them to start doing the tasks required to live more independently and to do as much as they can by themselves. It is one thing to assist, another to micromanage.
Most importantly, don’t let your expectations lead the way. Your teen needs take the lead in making decisions about his future. It is his life, not yours and it is important to manage your feelings should they include disappointment, anxiety, skepticism.