An added bonus of AP Exams... A clean work area once a year! :laugh:

Procrastination is a strange phenomenon... My daughter started doing random household chores I've asked her to do for ages, but she somehow never gets around to. When she suddenly started doing them with lots of energy, I was :huh:. She explained it was that or studying. I admit to being torn on which she should do... :blush: (Before you become envious...it only lasted about 10 minutes before she remembered she'd rather study than do the chores... ;) Am I going to do the chores that were left undone? Um...does it look like I'm doing them? Where's the ice cream.....) ETA: One of the chores she was doing is trying to sort all the drawings that cover her desk. I soooo understand about the drawing. Then she told me drawing counts because it builds up the muscles she needs to write the essays... :glare:

:laugh: That all sounds so familiar freesia!

Celebrations included picking fragrant flowers for a May Day bouquet and delivering them to my teen who was intensely studying for an AP exam. I was a little scared to interrupt her, but she was delighted! Happy May Day everyone!

Waiting is so hard! I still have vivid memories of waiting last year!

I can relate!!!

Make sure calculator is approved and charged! ETA: Make sure charger is actually working! (Yes, there is a long, stressful story behind that one....)

Joker, I hope your son is feeling better! JeanM, please keep us posted. Hopefully once the exam started he was able to get into the testing mindset. Quark, hope The Office helped with destressing! Speaking of office...We've joked about the movie Office Space during the past few days in an effort to blow off steam. Laughing is so important during these stressful days! Dicentra, thinking of your daughter as well! (If I missed anyone, it wasn't on purpose!) :grouphug: , chocolate, and laughter to everyone!!

Steady nerves and steady pencils/pens to those taking exams tomorrow!

Has everyone checked to make sure IDs are current? There was a sad, cautionary post some time ago about a son who showed up for a much anticipated and diligently prepped for SAT, only to be turned away because of an expired passport. :crying:

Just don't watch The Descent right before you go...

:laugh:

Mid-June for celebrating here... APs (May), SAT Subject Tests (May & June), and ACT (June) ETA: Finals in May as well. I wasn't stressed until I typed it all out. :svengo: ;)

This is our approach as well. Our goal has already been met for AP classes this year. She's enjoyed her classes and has learned so much. Everything from here on out is just bonus. Is there stress? Yes. Keeping everything in perspective helps.

Another thought... Stress can provide a window into our inner selves: What kind of stress motivates us? What kind slows us down? What is the right about of stress? Where is the edge -- any more is too much, any less is not enough... Contemplating these questions can provide information that may help in answering the big questions high school students are faced with when choosing majors, colleges, and careers. Not everyone has the same level of stress tolerance. Not every stress-reducing strategy will be effective for every student. Nurture can only work with what nature has provided. Being honest with ourselves and with our students as they deal with stress during these years will not only help in the present, but it can potentially save some undue stress later on.

Well said. Effective time management that reduces stress involves more than just planning what to do and when to do it. Beyond prioritizing and scheduling, effective time management also includes delegating, downgrading, deleting and debriefing. Can someone else do this instead of me? Is this as important as I originally thought it was? Is this truly necessary? Looking back, did I make the best decisions given the situation? What should I do in a similar situation in the future? The first time my teen told me of school assignments she'd purposefully skipped or projects she'd turned down at the lab, I was stunned and dismayed. In the end, I was glad to see she had at least consciously made the decisions and was processing the outcomes. Learning to deal with both the expectations she has for herself and for the expectations others have for her is more important than any grade or score.

My teen implemented something similar to a fun day for herself this year. At first I just thought she was slacking; I knew there was so much work to be done -- for her classes, for work, and for her other responsibilities. Eventually she explained what she was doing. She knew she had an incredible amount of work to do, but she also knew she couldn't just work non-stop all day, everyday. I've come to respect it as a sort of Sabbath. (A topic I hope to explore further in a future thread.) 10th grade has been a turning point in time management for her. She's still learning strategies, and time management doesn't completely eliminate the stress, but it definitely helps reduce and control it.

How are everyone's teens holding up now that exams and end-of-the-year papers and projects are looming? What do you do to help them (and you!) cope with acute stress? The basics I'm working on here are sleeping, eating well, staying hydrated, and exercising. In addition, recognizing that there is value in making time for creative outlets such as drawing, writing, journaling, and spending time in nature, even in especially in times of stress. In reality, not all of these happen every day and some days it seems almost none of them happen. I don't want to add to the stress by looking for perfection in every meal or expecting a daily hour-long communion with nature. I also don't want to give in to chaos. Balance, balance, balance. How are things looking in your worlds?

:laugh: Sounds reasonable to me!

Your post has lots of good reminders: 1. Don't be afraid to switch directions. 2. Although many timelines in high school are etched in stone, not all are. The trick is realizing what things are and aren't on such a timeline. Need extra time to cement math? Take it. Need to back off a bit to let body, mind, and spirit heal? Do it. 3. Don't forget to make time for student interests! These years are precious --- recognize them for the gift they are.

Love this!

I take that back. Forced creativity may actually lead to some new favorites. I didn't realize what gems were lurking in the depths of the pantry... Cardio, strength, and yoga -- done. I may do more later today, but it was a good start.

It was. :grouphug: Meds can be such a catch 22.