It’s definitely difficult facing a separation within your family, and it can cause a lot of inconveniences in your life. But it’s important to keep in mind during these changes that it isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Whatever problems that they were facing, whether it was incompatibility, their jobs or a lack of funds, it is something that they chose to handle between themselves and you most likely aren’t the cause for these sudden changes in housing status.
Now, handling the issue of moving between different households if your parents live apart can be difficult and there is no right or wrong answer because of the plethora of situations separated families can find themselves in. But, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing…after all if there is more than one answer, you can customize a solution to better fit your needs.
Especially when juggling multiple stuff at once–school, family and self-care–sometimes it can be a good idea to step back and break down what’s going on in your life so that it feels less overwhelming. Whether it’s splitting stuff into sections and making a list of pros and cons, straightening out what’s going on is half the battle.
So you mentioned that moving around all the time was pretty frustrating. If we use that as an example, maybe ask yourself what part of the moving is the most frustrating. Is it the fact that you can’t be around certain family members for a long enough period of time? Is it the actual fact that you have to keep packing up and moving? Is it the emotional toll it takes on others/yourself?
Then, it’s good to take the time to process it emotionally. Sometimes it feels like the whole world’s racing by and there are no words to describe how you’re feeling inside. Whenever that happens I like to slow down and remember that I don’t want to race though the moments that count. Whether that’s taking a break from my work or listening to some music before bed, find something that allows you to stop for a second and give yourself that time to unwind.
Once you run through your emotions and get a picture in your mind of what’s bothering you the most, you can ask yourself what you can really do about it. As a kid, sometimes a lot of the solutions are not in your hands, while other, smaller ones are things you can do to decrease your stress. Find out what you can do first and don’t be afraid if involves other people: chatting with your parents, talking to a counselor, finding a community hobby, video chatting etc.
You’re not superman. You don’t have to feel alone.
Yeah, some things might not work. You might not always be able to concentrate on your schoolwork. Not every problem will have a perfect solution. Just know that it’s normal to go through this. With all these aspects of your life to juggle, anyone would struggle.
If you still feel like you need to talk to someone, you can always contact ConnecTeen again. You can chat to us through our website http://calgaryconnecteen.com , text us at 587-333-2724, or call us at 403-264-8336.
