By SHELBY SHAW
Sheridan High School Student
Editor’s Note: The Sheridan Student Column is brought to readers by Sheridan High School’s 10th grade English class, taught by Abby Williams.
I would like to start off with a little bit of background information about me and my parents.
Hello, my name is Shelby Shaw and my parents don’t get it. Now, don’t get it twisted, my mom and I have a very close relationship and I would like to think of her as my best friend. She gets on my case a lot though, which can be pretty annoying seeing that I am a sophomore in high school. My dad and I, on the other hand, butt heads a lot. I still love him; he just wants what’s best for me, but little does he know I’m trying my hardest.
Now, let me begin by telling you just some of the things that parents need to realize.
I think the biggest thing that parents need to realize is that we kids, we’re trying. I know sometimes parents think we are just slacking or don’t care, but the reality is that we are doing our best and we have a lot going on. Most of us get a lot of homework or projects and then have sports for almost three hours after school. Some teens have jobs and have to do that after school for even longer. Parents don’t realize that we have all of this and we still have to make time for studying, eating and sleeping. All of this is overwhelming, and it stresses us out more when our parents don’t understand that we are trying our hardest.
The next thing that parents need to realize is that just because we have a guy/girl friend doesn’t mean we are dating. This is the most annoying thing because we can have friends of the opposite gender and just be friends. Having a friend of the opposite gender could help you so much in high school and life. I feel like most parents just assume that if you bring someone of the opposite gender home just to hang out or what not you must be dating or like them as more than a friend. Parents, please stop thinking this because it makes us want to stop bringing friends over.
Another thing parents need to realize is that we know we are going to make mistakes, but we want you to have our back through it and not just tell us that we made a mistake. Making mistakes is a part of life, but being told that you are “stupid” or “dumb” by a parent makes it even worse. Everyone makes mistakes, and I feel like parents need to be more guiding through these times. This is a learning experience as we grow up and we just need guidance. I find that this is something that most people in general have a hard time dealing with, and when you raise your kids to think that they are “dumb” if they make a mistake is just plain wrong. Try to remember that you were in our shoes once.
And lastly, one of the main things that parents need to realize is that mental health is a real issue for teens. Whether it’s depression or anxiety, it’s all real, and we all need help getting through it, and having a parent by your side is much-needed. High school isn’t easy; things such as bullying and social media make it even harder for kids to make it through, and all we want to know is that not only do our parents believe that there is something wrong but that they would be there to support us. So, no matter what your kid is going through, whether it be heartbreak, depression, anxiety, etc., as a parent you need to be there and be understanding and helpful.
We’ve come to the end of this informative article for parents written by a teen struggling with these things as well. I truly hope you learned something from these four key things I talked about because they mean a lot to us kids. If you were to change your logic, I’m sure your kids would truly enjoy that. I also hope this opened up your eyes because as a kid I know what it’s like to have parents who don’t understand these things, and it can be so frustrating. If you could only take one thing from this it should be: What do I need to realize as a parent?