Welcome to the world of teenagers! I dare say that teenagers are a wonderful bunch and indeed fun to be with. I congratulate every family, parent and teen handlers in this space and all around the world. Having teenagers takes great joy, patience and strength. You can take a deep breath, breathe easy and give yourself a lovely pat on the back. You are doing well and you will do exceedingly better. Teenagers are full of life regardless of their personalities and gender. They are fun to be with, mischievous, spontaneous, willful, daring and so much more. You have to be energetic and strong to keep up as well. This phase in their lives is where they learn to understand life and to be like adults.
The teenage years are graced with some teenenergy characteristics. I would love to share some here. And they will form the basis of the term Teenergy. Meaning teenager and energy fused together to form teenergy. we will see the positivity of teen energy.
Beauty: The beauty of adolescence or the teenage years are undeniable. Both male and female teenagers undergo physical changes that depict their beauty. They undergo puberty, growth and maturation. No wonder some older generations always want to have the beauty of their youth back. The beauty of teenagers generally should be cherished and nurtured in a positive way.
Intelligence: Teenagers are blessed with intelligence. They have what it takes to make smart and intellectual decisions. Although according to research, they are still growing and the prefrontal cortex of the brain is not fully developed yet, it does not mean they are not capable of intelligence. This is why they are capable of learning. They are also capable of emotional and social learning as well.
Curiosity: Curiosity is the key ingredient of learning. Teenagers are vested with the desire to acquire new information. This has been proven to be a powerful driver of learning. This can be seen in the way they handle gadgets, appliances, phones, systems, social media, cars (for the older teenagers), musical instruments, information and so much more. This is where we as parents and responsible adults are encouraged to monitor and guide them so they do not consume too much negative information detrimental to themselves and to their mental health.
Energy: The years of teenagers are graced with so much energy and strength. No wonder the good book puts it right ’the glory of the youth is their strength.’ They have so much energy to expend and express. This can be seen in their psychomotor skills. To express this, they do a lot of sports, dance, gaming, shopping, partying and many more. Their raging hormones and physical growth are responsible for this energy
It is pertinent to note that as all these characteristics are valid and positive, it does not take away the presence of the plethora of challenges faced by these teenagers. No doubt these challenges have caused some major concerns for parents, family members and concerned adults. Some of these challenges are caused by internal and external factors. They are bombarded with different challenges like loneliness, mischief, anxiety, peer pressure, family troubles, depression, eating disorders, negative body image, low academic achievement, excessive exposure to social media, phone addiction, wrong identity formation, pornography, masturbation, lack of focus, substance abuse and many more. Our patience and understanding can help us to guide them to take the necessary steps to navigate these challenges. We can be present, engaging and actively listen to their hearts and voices, creating trust enough for them to confide in us. We can engage the services of a professional counselor to work with them on their social, academic and emotional development. We can ensure their mental health or wellbeing by being role models. We can validate their strengths and help them to channel their collective energy towards positivity for their mental health, their good and the good of all.
EduTimes Africa, a product of Education Times Africa, is a magazine publication that aims to lend its support to close the yawning gap in Africa's educational development.
There is a certain commendable bravery in what you are doing ma. The Teen-age is a very crucial stage of all kids, which needs a special attention and professional handling which your office as an Educator and professional counselor is currently doing justice to. Thank you for been a great and positive influence on this ones. we can only hope for a better future with the quality of your impact in their academic and life career.
Amen! Thank you so much for reaching out. Kindly forgive this very late reply