NPR

'When I Was Your Age' And Other Pitfalls Of Talking To Teens About Stress

Helping teenagers develop cognitive empathy, the ability to understand another person's perspective, can allow them to cope with stress better. But whether they accept help can be all in the phrasing.
Parents can phrase advice to their teens about coping with stress in ways that also help teenagers imagine the perspectives of others.

It's difficult to have a teenager's mind. The brain develops rapidly during the adolescent years, which partially explains why teens experience anger, sadness and frustration so intensely.

During these tumultuous years, hormones surge, bodies change and adolescents must face a number of social and academic challenges, such as managing their relationships, coping with peer rejection and,-- especially this time of year — graduating from high school or preparing for college admission tests.

These worries can take a definitive

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