LESSON TITLE: THE CHALLENGES OF MIDDLE AND LATE ADOLESCENCE

POSITIVE APPROACH IN DEALING WITH LIFE DEMANDS

OBJECTIVES:

♦ Discuss that facing the
challenges during adolescence
may clarify and manage the
demands of teen years
♦ Express his or her feelings on
the expectations of the
significant people around him or
her (parents, siblings, friends,
teachers)
♦ . Make affirmation that help
one become more lovable and
capable as an adolescent
There must be many occasions when you find yourself juggling
things to accomplish certain tasks because there are so many things to do.
It can be tough at times. At present, what are the things you need to deal
with and accomplish? How do you deal with them?
It helps to face the challenges squarely. It gives you opportunity to
take better perspectives which should encourage you to find ways to
manage them in more effective ways.
Often, the problem stems from wanting to establish identity and
independence on the part of the child, and the desire of parents to
continuously give guidance and protection to their children. It can’t be
helped that parents set certain rules at home, assign roles and chores to do,
curfews and even make a choice of company you should go with.

The good parental intent is always ensuring that you grow responsible and be on the right track. These
are instances perhaps that you find hard time following them. Thus, misunderstanding may ensue that creates
conflicts and stress at home. Other common issues include choice of college course or career, and getting into
an exclusive relationship.

There is also the issue of dealing with high expectations in terms of achievements, especially academic
in nature. Parents naturally aspire that their children excel in school. For some children, it is a source of
frustrations if they don’t succeed in meeting their parents’ standards of academic achievements.

On the other hand, there are also children who take the expectations of their parents as a challenge that
push them to do better in school. In fact, a study on family involvement made by Harvard Family Research
Project (Harvard Graduate School Education) in 2004 revealed that parents’ expectations may raise the level of
achievements of children. High educational expectations tend to result to high educational attainments.

In dealing with parents expectations, it helps to have an open-communication with them. And your
communication skills will play an important role in expressing your thoughts and feelings. It helps to
understand what your parents’ plans are behind the expectations they have for you.

Do not forget to accord your parents the respect they deserve when speaking with them. Sometimes,
parents may tend to overlook your plans and way of doing things maybe because they are unsure or feels
unclear with what you want to do. This is when knowing your own self, acknowledging your skills & talents
and being clear with your interests or plans become more helpful in the process.

In some instances, maybe you find yourself in disagreement with your parents which lead to conflict.
They say adolescents like you at this stage generally feel, “invincible” and that nothing could possibly happen.
You feel so young! You may think the world is at your feet to enjoy. Remember that parents are not always
trying to spoil your fun. They are just normally protective.

Expectations do not only come from your parents. Your siblings and even close relatives may also
expect. Sharing household chores with your siblings are common expectations. Do not forget that you need to
do your part at home. Remember that responsibility is a twin of independence. Independence is not a reason to
relinquish your role in the family.
THE CHALLENGES FACES BY ADOLESCENTS

Attitudes and behavior toward sexuality and sexual relationships

Puberty drives the adolescent to experience surges of sexual desires, which often lead them to
experimentation and exploration. Adolescents exploring their sexuality should be able to draw their limits in
terms of sexual expressions, and should be responsible enough to see the future results or consequences of their
behaviors.

What is the proper and healthy attitude toward sexuality and sexual relationships? The attitude of being
responsible of one’s action is the guiding principle toward a healthy sexuality. Responsibility implies dealing
with ones sexuality as part of establishing a healthy self-concept or self-identity. Being responsible also implies
that entering into relationships is all about genuine loving and caring for the other person, and not just to satisfy
one’s urges and needs which can lead to bigger problems like teenage pregnancies or sexually transmitted
disease.

Academic concerns

The role of a student is a primary role of an adolescent who is still in school. Although there are other
roles he or she may take, being a student takes primary importance. While many adolescents become
problematic with their academic studies, what is the most important is the attitude that they need to embrace
when studying. Being responsible is called for when dealing with academic challenges. Be aware that academic
grades are not the only indicators of learning.

Discipline, openness, perseverance, diligence, excellence, curiosity, analytical and critical thinking,
memory, understanding, cooperation and team work, respecting other’s opinions and beliefs, social interactions,
leadership and followership are some of the more important skills and values that an adolescent student can also
learn while in school.

Group belongingness

An adolescent wants to belong. While there is an urge to be independent and autonomous from his
family and parents, there is also an urge to seek a replacement of this support system, this time in the form of
social groupings such as school friends, memberships in organizations and community. Avoiding organizations
that adhere to violence and other anti-social behaviors is a responsibility of the adolescent because he is
responsible for his own welfare, his family, his friends and his school.

Health and nutrition

Healthy mind and body is what every adolescent should strive for. However, adolescents, because of
their growing bodies and brains, are gifted with so much energy that seems inexhaustible, resulting in abuse of
one’s body and mind. Lack of sleep and poor eating habits often result in disaster. Learn to listen to your body.
Every time you put something inside your body, ask first the question, “Will this make me healthy or not?

Developing or Regaining Self-Esteem

Adolescents who are creating their self-identity should be objective and balanced when viewing
themselves. Being objective means seeing one’s self as having both strengths and weaknesses or having positive
and negative characteristics. Balancing how one see oneself means to avoid over-emphasizing an aspect of
one’s identity to the detriment of another aspect.

A healthy, evolving adolescent’s task should be about caring for oneself and self-healing and creating
and owning positive healthy self-concepts like, “I am a good person” or “I am strong and can accept
challenges”. Only in this way can an adolescent develop his self-esteem necessary for him to lead a healthier
life.
 Material poverty

There are many stories about school children and adolescent students who live in a far-flung areas where
infrastructure is not available and of those who do not have much choice but to walk when going to going.

Parents working abroad

Another social phenomenon experienced by many Filipino families today lined to poverty are parents
who leave their families to work abroad to support the needs of their families. Studies shown that migration of
parents is indeed a heart-breaking for children, making them long for parental care, get confused over gender
roles, be vulnerable to abuse, and even develop consumerist attitudes.

Relationships

Maintaining healthy relationships require a certain level of maturity. An adolescent who is still in the
process of acquiring maturity may often find maintaining relationships challenging. At home, a female
adolescent who desires autonomy and independence will encounter more parental objections.

She may not be allowed to attend social gatherings without chaperones, or go out of town trips with
males in the group. When this happens, relationships at home are strained, and the adolescent who does not see
the real purpose of why her parents are restricting her will react negatively to such restrictions.

Romantic relationships are inevitable and equally challenging to an adolescent. When emotions are
involved, it is often difficult to be objective, and many adolescents are still developing their skills in
understanding their emotions. Break ups in romantic relationships occurs very frequently among adolescents
because of immaturity. However, experiences such as break ups are positive ways to grow toward emotional
maturity.

For females, it is the start of their menstruation period and the developing of their breasts. These
physical changes mark the onset of puberty, and the beginning of the adolescent stage of the human
development. As adolescents develop physically, they also develop cognitively, psychologically, socially, and
spiritually.
ACTIVITY 2: Let Me Engage Myself!
Instruction: List down the expectations or challenges (or issues/demands/concerns) you currently face.

AT HOME IN SCHOOL

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PEERS OTHERS

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Processing question:

1. What skills do you need to develop so you can better handle the demands or challenges that life present
at you?
ACTIVITY 3: JOURNAL ENTRY 7 The Way I Feel!
Instruction: 1. Reflect on the following questions. Write how you feel about them.

Guide questions: 1. “What are the challenges I face?” 2. “What are expected of me?”
3. “How can I handle them?”

The Way I feel!

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