Waiting to hear and then…….
We know April 1st is coming by the calendar, by the appearance of robins, by the announcement of Lester pitching on Red Sox Opening Day and by the signs of spring in the garden. There are other signals that April 1st is coming with attention being focused on the news from college applications. This is another major developmental milestone for teens and parents. After months of the application process being on the “back burner”, it is easy to see, hear, feel the rise in emotional temperatures. With this in mind I would like to remind everyone of the importance of keeping a “cool head” and being “Steady Eddie” so you can serve as a stabilizer. For many teens this acceptance/rejection is felt with tremendous power and force. Some teens will feel glee in receiving acceptance letters, other may despair if they have been rejected from a school they had set their heart on and still others may feel extremely confused and uncertain about the choice they face. Our adult wisdom and experience gives us the perspective and understanding that there is no perfect college, that this is just one more decision that leads to the next decision that leads to the next decision and so forth. It is very important that we show empathic understanding emotionally as they work through the decision process. In addition, some teens will need assistance with thinking things through and gaining clarity. Being watchful to any indications of behavior and emotional reactions that fall on the “troubling” end of the spectrum is critical and should be responded to with sensitive follow up and connection. One thing we can do as adults who care about our teens, is put ourselves in their shoes and really have respect for this charged moment.
