A lot of the times, it feels like people who speak for adolescents and how and why they feel the way they do…aren’t adolescents. While some of this makes sense – therapists and mental health experts for example have the background to explain why adolescents may experience the things they do – it can get frustrating seeing news stories and reports talking about what adolescents are going through without actually talking to them.
Organizations like Unicef’s Voices of Youth are starting to give platforms for young people to speak up about how they feel and their own experiences. As a global platform, it gives those between the ages of 13-24 a space to create content about whatever they want, and is even available in Spanish, Arabic, and French!
We specifically wanted to highlight a section dedicated to talking about going to school from home. Along with tips about how students can protect themselves and cope with the stressors that are likely coming from going back to school during this time, the page also features short blurbs from adolescents all over the world and how they’re coping and feeling too. Hopefully, this might give your child some coping tools too and make them feel less alone during this transition.
Has your child returned back to school? Whether it’s virtual, in-person, or a hybrid, how have they been feeling? What are things that you would change?