| After School Is A Difficult Time For Me And My Family | Family | After School Is A Difficult Time For Me And My Family | <div class="ExternalClass1D322F9113D240C385326B7984BEB3D6"><p><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"times new roman", serif;">I try to keep myself
together at school, and sometimes, I feel as soon as i get home, It all goes
down the drain. I do not get abused, but sometimes I get yelled at for things
that i cannot control, and for the rest of the day, I just don't feel like i
can function very well. </span><br></p></div> | <div class="ExternalClassC1D347D55C1F4FFD9B4AA3F3713C136B"><p>It sounds like you have been facing some tough days recently. It shows a lot of maturity for you to acknowledge your own struggle and then to reach out for help with it. That is a truly great way to respond when you aren't sure what to do.</p><p>There seems to be a difference between how you feel in the environment of school and the environment of home. You said that you aren't abused at all, but sometimes you get yelled at for things you can't control. That is understandably frustrating at times and can be emotionally taxing. <br></p><p>But you brought up a great point about things you <em>can't</em> control. When you are feeling stressed or overwhelmed it is important to focus on what you can control. You can't control other people, but you can control how you respond. The first step to responding to the situation at home is to sit down and talk with your parents (or parent) about how you've been feeling and what you wish could change. It can often times seem like this won't do anything to fix the situation, but with proper communication and planning it could have a real effect.</p><p>To learn some fantastic tips on how to speak with your parents check out our article <a href="/Pages/tip-how-to-talk-to-parents.aspx?Topic=Family">How To Talk to Your Parents</a>.</p><p>Consider the interactions that you have with your parent(s) after school. Does your demeanor give off stress, maybe to your parent(s)? Could it be perceived as you being mad at them when this is not the case at all? Maybe it just seems this way because you have had a long day and are simply tired. If this is the case, communicate this. Make a schedule of some soothing things you will do for the first 20 minutes when you arrive home. Maybe you will get a snack, lay down for a bit or go outside for a walk. If you feel any of these things would help, set a timer, ask your parent(s) to respect the 20 minute quiet time and then emotionally reset for your time at home. You might be surprised how much this could help. If this is something that you talk about ahead of time, your parent(s) will probably be ok with this change in routine. They might even be really proud of you for coming up with a way to manage your emotions and stress level.<br></p><p>We hope that this is just the start of your communication with us. Please feel free to email us back, or reach out by text or call. <br></p><p>Take care-<br></p><p>Addison, Counselor<br></p></div> | 14 | | |
