Struggles of SR Year and the rollercoaster

 When it comes to SR Year of High School things start sinking in for the kids especially the closer it gets to time to graduate. It gets overwhelming for them. They are trying to figure out what they want to do for the rest of their life and some don't have it figured out. They have people telling them take your ACTS, apply for scholarships, do job training, do this, or do that, and sometimes it is just to much. Some kids end up quitting because of the pressure or feel like they just can't do it anymore. All of the expectations are just so much. They are getting depressed, anxious, overwhelmed, and a lot of mixed emotions. Are they checking in on the mental health. Parents and teachers I know you care about your kids but sometimes you push so hard and it causes these kids to go into a shell. I think y'all need to start doing a mental check on all students and see how they are mentally doing because High School is rough enough with their peers and their peers expectations of them. They don't know where they fit in the world with friends or themselves. If they are in sports or other extra curricular it hits home that it's their last time to do it at school. When Prom rolls around it's the last big dance and it sinks in. Before you know it graduation rolls around and then what. You need to be supportive in whatever decision they make because it is their decision and their life. It is about their happiness not your happiness. They are aloud to fail. They are aloud to have bumps in the road. They are aloud to choose a major and change it. They are aloud to choose to not go to college. If they choose to do a trade that is their choice. Let them make that choice. No one is perfect. If they want to work a fast food job or whatever job it may be that is their choice. Just because it isn't your way doesn't make their choice a wrong choice. They need to hear praise and be told that they are doing well when they are doing well. Stop focusing so much on test scores and work. Start checking on the mental health of these teenagers.  So many fall into deep depressions that are hard to pull out of. Many say you can't see the signs which is a lie. When a teenager is isolating themselves and doesn't have many friends maybe check into that. If they aren't showing an interest in school see what is going on.  These kids communicate through their phones more than anything. Maybe do some exercises with them to get them to communicate with each other without phones because when they get a job they will need communication skills talking face to face with people possibly and some of them don't know how. Some of them are socially awkward. What I'm getting at is SR Year is hard and these kids need someone cheering them on and being supportive in whatever they choose to do.