Adults, oftentimes, expect a little too much of their children. They may be teenagers, almost adults even, but they are still learning. Every day, they are learning things about themselves, things about life, so of course they make lots of mistakes! Mistakes are a part of life, and one of life’s best learning tools. One learns much more from trying and failing, than they do from trying and succeeding. They learn from the mistake and how to improve themselves. If they succeed the first time, they learn nothing, because they already know, and if they already know, there’s a good chance they learned it from a previous experience or mistake.

Parents should not pressure their children as harshly for these reasons. Parents need to be firm, but understanding. They were teenagers once, after all. They’ve been there and done that. It goes both ways, however. Teenagers should be more open-minded toward the guidance of their parents. They’re not always nagging or being overly protective, they’re trying to help their children grow and learn. Often times their experience grants them much more wisdom than their children may realize.

Teachers are not exempt, either. There are some things they need to understand about their students, as well. Teenagers already have busy, stressful lives. They have to deal with crushes, extra-curricular activities, jobs, college searches, peer pressure, changes in their bodies, and they are still somehow expected to manage their schoolwork flawlessly. Not everyone’s schedule has enough time for homework or to study. This leads to students staying up to the late hours of the night trying to get caught up with their schoolwork. This can lead to crankiness and tiredness from not getting enough sleep. Teachers must keep in mind students have lives outside of school, and more than one class. Sometimes, it is simply too much to do.