Wellbeing

How to support your young person around VCE stress

As we the year rapidly moves towards the end of the Term 3 and for our year 12 students the end of classes early in Term 4 many parents will be noticing an increase in stress and anxiety in their young people.  Knowing when to step in and help and when to be supportive but take a back seat can be difficult.

Tips for parents with VCE students include:

• Remember it is normal for VCE students to be stressed at this time of year, it would be unusual for them not to be.  Remain calm when they are distressed and talking about how much they have to do/that they aren’t coping/that they might fail
• First course of action should always be to listen – nod your head, acknowledge how hard it is, show them that you are listening and are keen to help, that their stress is a sign that they care and are invested in how they are going
• Ask how you can help and listen to what they say
• Reassure them that no matter how they go, they will be okay, that they will get through and that you are there to help them no matter what
• Be ready for the roller coaster – their emotions will be all over the place over the coming months, and this may continue past exams with the massive and underestimated transition into post high school life
• Be flexible around family commitments around times of high stress
• Allow and encourage them to have activities and moments in their week that bring them distraction and enjoyment

A beautiful reminder of the power of having things we enjoy came in the Wellbeing space this term. The Wellbeing team are enormously grateful to Arlene Fritzi Ignatius of Year 12 who has undertaken the task this semester of painting a picture on one of the interview rooms in the Wellbeing space.  It was inspirational to see Fritzi paint during one of the busiest periods of her high school.

Feedback from students and staff has been extremely positive and the Wellbeing team are incredibly appreciative and inspired to continue the task of updating our spaces to the benefit of the students who come to wellbeing.  Any students who are interested in having a look are welcome to come into wellbeing to see her incredible and vibrant work