By Trish Deboni - Personal Trainer
The bedroom door slams, loud music is playing, one minute you’re cool and the next you are the furthest thing from cool, crying turns to laughing, laughing turns to crying. It sounds like you have a case of the……………………teenager.
Under normal circumstances this would be a tough one. But during a global pandemic, let’s just say it’s quite a challenge. But here’s the thing. It’s not just a challenge for you. It’s a major challenge for them.
Those kids look to us to tell them everything is going to be alright. And to be quite honest, we haven’t been giving off that vibe. They see us panicked, sad, and unsure and they certainly have no better way of dealing with it all. They need us. They need coping skills. They need outlets. That’s where Paseo Club comes in.
Staying socially distanced has not been easy. We need human contact. A handshake, a hug, a fist bump. I mean, we can’t even see people’s smiles anymore. The club provides a safe space for seeing other people and getting to be social. Our teens need to know that there are kids out there just like them. They need to see that we are all in this together. When they get to talk and laugh with other kids their age, it gives them a sense of security. They can hear firsthand that they are not alone in this.
Not being active and playing sports has been tough on all of us. For our teens, it’s especially hard. They are used to being active on a daily basis. They are used to playing sports, doing PE, and being outside. During quarantine it became so difficult to keep everyone motivated, especially since they don’t even have to get out of bed to go to school. I know firsthand that our kids could spend a whole day in their room, on the computer, in their pajamas. And that has been their school life! They need to get out, even if it’s for 10 minutes at a time. They need sunshine and they need exercise. They need to get moving! Not only is it necessary for staying fit, it helps them concentrate and learn better too.
Coping with sadness and uncertainty is scary. It’s scary for adults. Imagine how scary it is for our teens. They are already dealing with hormones, growing, social dilemmas, social media, school, and so much more. It’s stress overload. They need coping skills. They need to know that there are ways to process the information and work through their emotions. It’s not healthy to keep all that emotion bottled up inside. One way or another it’s going to come out. We really need to help them find ways to deal with it all.
So, what can we do? The most important thing is to listen to them. Let them vent. Let them talk through whatever it is they’re working out. They may not even realize they need to. Encourage them! Take advantage of all The Paseo Club has to offer. Pickle ball, Tennis, Swimming, Classes, The Teen Wellness program. The club has so many ways for your teens to socialize, stay active, and work through their emotions. The Teen Wellness program offers workouts, pickle ball, time with other teens, nutrition, journaling, and lots of laughter in a safe space. Here they can get social again, be active again, and talk and work through all that is going on in their lives.
They say it takes a village. Let Paseo Club be your village.
Jen Azevedo is a tennis professional, pickleball professional, personal trainer, group exercise instructor, and the general manager of the Paseo Club. She loves the community at the Paseo Club and that it is also a safe and fun place for her daughter. Jen’s favorite activities are joining her tribe for trail races or her partners for tennis matches. Occasionally Jen slows down to relax with a book — she reads over 100 a year!
