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April 20, 2006
Teen Pressure
This collage portray's Ellen and Link. The symbols show what type of pressure they have as teenagers and young adults. For example, the graduation cap reminds us of the pressure for Link to graduate with good grades. The Yale symbol represent the pressure from his father to go to Yale, an Ivy league school. On the other side, the A+ represents the grades that Ellen's father wants her to work towards. The picture of the girl leaning on the boy represents Ellen's struggle with Link and trying to be "close" to him. The wine represents the times when she drinks with James. This also represents a time when Ellen feels she is not who her parents think she is. As a teenager, do you feel that you were someone else other than who your parents thought you were? Did you try to accomplish goals because your parents wanted you to? If not, how did you deal with the pressure that your parents put on you if they did? What are some ways teens can deal with the hardships and pressure of being a teenager?
Posted by at April 20, 2006 12:48 PM | My Heartbeat
Comments
I am not really sure how to put the picture up like Kristen did..but this was my best effort. I also forgot to mention that JAMES's name was in the middle because throughout this whole situation, he was in the middle. He was a friend to Link and Ellen.
Posted by: beth at April 20, 2006 1:02 PM
I was blessed with parents who wanted the best for me, but my internal drive to succeed was almost always stronger than any pressure they placed on me. In some of my friends I saw the good and bad effects of parental pressure. I think it can be very damaging to the relationship between parent and child if parents are too pushy with their children.
Posted by: Christine Schmitt at April 24, 2006 3:44 PM
Growing up, I was fortunate to have a very open relationship with both of my parents. They always knew who I was with, where I was, what I had been doing, and what really made me happy. They supported all decisions I made and never tried to force anything on me that I didn't want to do. They were there for me through all of my ventures to support and guide me but I never have felt smothered by my parents. I think being open and honest with your parents is the best way to overcome any pressure. I believe that if any parent knew honestly how their child felt, they wouldn't pressure them into doing things they didn't want to do. Also, having a good group of friends that you can trust and confide in is always helpful. Talking and being honest is always the best way to get through things.
Posted by: Jessica Engle at April 24, 2006 9:34 PM
I never really experienced parental pressure growing up. I was always very motivated to get good grades and be involved in school. My parents always trusted me because we had mutual respect for eachother and were open with one another. I feel very lucky to have such loving and understanding parents.
Posted by: Anonymous at April 25, 2006 12:35 PM
The last comment was from me. I forgot to put my name on it... oops.
Posted by: Jessica Steinbauer at April 25, 2006 12:36 PM
When I was a teenager I did everything that my parents asked. I got good grades and I participated in school activities. There were a few times I remember sneeking out of the house and meeting with my friends at night. In those times I did feel like I wasn't who my parents thought and those times were very fun! I think that each teenager must find his/her own way of dealing with the pressures of parents. I dealt with my pressures my skating it really relieved me from stress.
Posted by: Molly Reppe at April 28, 2006 12:26 PM
Growing up, I was a fairly straight forward kid. I never did anything out of the ordinary and I built up all of my parent's trust at a very early age. I think they expected what most parents do out of their children, and it helped that I expected a lot out of myself too. I didn't to dissapoint them or myself in anyway. They were never very hard on me and my sister but we continued to work hard because if we didn't we knew they would be dissapointed. I was a very responsible young adult and I think they helped me with denying the peer pressure I was sometimes put in to. I never had a problem saying no or walking away. I feel I am very lucky for the confidance I had then and now!
Posted by: Ashley Baker at April 28, 2006 1:37 PM
I always thought my parents knew who I was pretty well because I have always had such open, great communication with them. Except for the trouble that I caused and some of the things I did in high school. But I guess that is normal with most kids anyways. Yes, I have always been driven to accomplish goals by my dad. Even college. If it wasn't for him I probably wouldn't even be in college because I have a hard time really caring about things in life. I don't see this as a negative thing though, the fact that he pushes me. It has only made me a better and stronger person.
Posted by: Brandon Tuttle at April 30, 2006 2:30 PM
I dont think that I was who my parents wanted me to be. I did follow the rules and I always did well in school, but it was not just because my parents expected it. I had a great relationship with my parents, but I wanted to do good in school for myself. I wanted to go to college and succeed in the things that I have succeeded in. My Mom would always make sure I had my homework done, but she never pressured me. I was able to do a lot of things in High School that I wouldnt have been able to do with added pressure.
Posted by: Kristin Bochler at May 1, 2006 4:55 PM
I feel that I had a very open relationship with my parents wen I wa an adolescent. However, I sometimes felt pressure from my parents relating to school and volleyball. For instance, my mom and dad had high expectations for my grades. Therefore, I think I tried so hard in school because I didn't want to dissapoint them. Additionally, my dad liked getting involved with the sports I played. Therefore, when I played volleyball in high school he always wanted to talk about the team and how I and the team can improve. Therefore, i felt a little pressure from my dad be a good volleyball player. Overall, I think that my parents and I had a healthy realtionship because we had a very open relationship. Meaning, that I felt comfortable talking to them about moslty everything, therefore they knew the "real" me.
I think that the mest way for teens to deal with the hard ships of being a teen is to be honest about who they are with themselves, their friends, and their families. Therefore, they know themselves, and they can relie on their family and friends for support when they are having a difficult time.
Posted by: Anne Jarrett at May 2, 2006 9:35 AM
When I was younger or like at a middle school age, I felt that I kept a lot of different things from my parents. I'd say that I probably confided more in my friends at that point in my life and wasn't as open with talking to my parents about various issues. Of course your parents want you to do well in school or other activities but it's also important to want to do good in them yourself. If a teen is having troubles and doesn't want to talk to their parents or family about it, they should be at least telling another person who they confide in about it for advice, etc.
Posted by: Dorie Craker at May 2, 2006 11:51 AM
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