Perhaps this seems like common sense or feels like parenting when your child was younger. After all, the aim of adolescence is to individuate from the family and ideally reach a state of interdependence. However, this process has been derailed slightly for many, as they have experienced the trauma of the pandemic. Amongst young people, I have noticed a kind of regression to a younger state of mind, especially socially. And yet at the same time they are often troubled by adult concerns, by grappling with complex issues, like sexuality, gender and politics. There is also an increase in self-reliance, a greater dependency on friends and the Internet as I said earlier. In some ways this is good, but in other ways it’s incredibly harmful if their coping mechanisms are unhealthy. The need for seeking safety and certainty is needed now more than ever and through parental presence we can support young people to develop their own instruction manual for navigating life. By Matt Barnard, Lead School Counsellor
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© The Cherwell School , Opportunity, Responsibility, Excellence SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2021 Page 11
