(Featuring Jayda Nix, a junior in high school currently working with me as a mentoree in my office and Tania Clark, a senior in high school, currently working with my sister as a mentoree. These two give you something to think about when handling your stress with your child(ren))
- What is your define of stress?
Anything that causes a person to worry if your life is not smooth sailing then you’re stressed about something.(TC)
Not being in your normal state of mind, not being able to focus. Overwhelmed.(JN)
- How do you handle your own stress?
I just simply sleep it off.(TC)
Personally I always isolate myself and listen to music, it seems to calm me down.(JN)
- Are you stressed?
Yes I worry about college and where I’ll be going to school in the fall and it’s a lot to think about.(TC)
Yes. Sometimes school and my relationship can stress me out.(JN) (I sent her the video of FLOTUS and what she had to say about boys and school, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uivxlviobU4)
- How can you tell your mom is stressed?
I can tell because of her facial expressions.(TC)
I can tell when my mom is stressed out when she yells at me for the smallest things and tells me to leave her alone.(JN)
- How do you feel when you see your mom stressing?
I feel like I want to help her, like take some of the weight off her shoulders.(TC)
I feel like I need to stay far away from her until she is in a better mood, but then again I wonder why she is stressing and how I can help.(JN)
- What do you think stresses your mom out the most?
The fact that she’s responsible for another life and making sure her kids are taking care of.(TC)
Her job.(JN)
- How do you help your mom when she’s stressed?
I just try and do things she would normally ask me to do like washing the dishes after dinner, making sure my siblings are doing what they need to be doing.(TC)
When my mom is stressed I try to help more around the house so it is one less thing she has to worry about.(JN)
- Do you talk to your mom about how her makes you feel?
No that might make things worst especially since it doesn’t really affect me in the worst way.(TC)
Yes I talked to her and told her it wasn’t fair to me if I hadn’t contributed to her stress. She usually tells me I am partially the cause and if I did better she wouldn’t be so stressed.(JN)
- What advice would you give to a kid that is stressed
I would just say look it’s going to be ok nothing last forever.(TC)
Don’t come off as being rude, try to get down to the actual root of the problems so she might open up to talk about it.(JN)