Coping with Teenage Stress

The teenage stresses of today may be very different from those of the past but there is no doubt that some teenagers seem to feel these issues quite strongly: exams, relationships with friends and on social media, domestic problems, and peer pressure to smoke, drink, take drugs and have S. (I use the abbreviation S as otherwise this email will be blocked by many schools for using “inappropriate language”)

To compound matters, the teenage years themselves are difficult, a time when teenagers are neither children nor grown-ups and when many have a tendency to feel and express rebellion. Sadly, there have been a number of recent cases where teenage stress has led to suicide.

Teenage stress is clearly a highly relevant and serious issue and it is vital that we find ways to help teenagers, firstly to identify the causes of it and then to both understand and cope with it.

But the question is how. When someone is stressed, then their own perceptions become warped, and it is impossible for them to see their position in the world and how they might change it.

So the answer is to work with students before they become over-stressed (on the basis that clearly some stress is good – as one psychologist put it to me while I was looking into this subject, if you are not stressed you are probably asleep).

The manual “Coping with Teenage Stress” approaches the subject by giving teenagers insights into what stress is all about, and then asking them to participate in explorations of the concept. Through this is opens the way to class discussion of the many sources of teenage stress and includes practical work in the form of quizzes, games and questions for class work. It also offers practical help for stressed teenagers with numerous suggestions as to how they can relieve stress and also where they can go for help if the underlying problem is too much for them alone.

It is detailed, practical, there are many more topics that you’ll need to cover (so there is plenty of chance to choose the topics you particularly want to cover) and it comes in a copiable format, which makes it usable in chunks, with as many students as you wish. You can also obtain the volume on CD so that it can be put on the school’s learning platform for all colleagues to access it and use it, no matter which department they are in.

Cat No: 978 1 86083 702 9; Publishers Ref No: T1713emn; Sample pages can be viewed on http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/pshe/T1713.pdf

Prices

• Photocopiable report in a ring binder, £25.95. plus £3.95 delivery
• CD with school-wide rights: £25.95 plus £3.95 delivery
• Both the Ring Binder and the CD £32.94 plus £3.95 delivery
• Prices include VAT.

You can purchase the book…

• By post to First and Best, Hamilton House, Earlstrees Ct., Earlstrees Way, Corby, NN17 4HH
• By fax to 01536 399 012
• By phone with a school order number on 01536 399 011
• On line with a credit card at http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=40&products_id=542

What can Year 6 do in their last week at school which the rest of the school can admire?

The creation and decoration of “Giant Paper People” by children in their own image is one of the most amusing, interesting, and indeed artistically challenging, activities that children can undertake.

Doing it in the last week of their time at primary school adds an extra value to it – for the school can display all the giant people in the final assembly.

Giant Paper People are die-cut, child-size, plain paper shapes, 88cm high and 50cm wide. Each can be decorated with paint or crayons. Clothing can be added with cutouts from super poster paper.

And, if you want to go even further, there are black and white wiggle eyes that can be added!

Best of all, the whole project not only excites and enthrals the children, leaving them with a most positive memory of school on their last few days, but it also comes at a very modest price, with the giant paper people at just £4.35 for a pack of 24.

Details of the Giants, the poster paper and the black and white wiggle eyes can be found through these links below.

• Giant Paper People
• Super Poster Paper
• Black and White Wiggle Eyes

Most UK orders over £35 benefit from a free delivery service. For orders under £35 there is a £2.99 delivery charge.

Unfortunately, if you are lucky enough to be living in the Channel Islands the delivery charge is £12.45 irrespective of the size of the order. (I know that’s quite a bit more, but you do have the benefit of living in a singularly beautiful part of the world, and if you’d like to swap with me, do let me know.)

For Northern Ireland, the Isles of Scilly, the Scottish Highlands, Isle of Wight and the Isle of Man it’s £7 delivery.

What’s more, if you’re not completely happy with your order we offer a no quibble, money back guarantee.

You can order in any of these ways:

• On our website at the web links above
• By email to info@ss-services.co.uk
• By phone on 01789 765323
• By fax to 01789 765469
• By post to S & S Services, Units 4-8 Tything Road, Arden Forest Industrial Estate, Alcester, Warwickshire, B49 6EP