Youth Mental Health: Tips To Help Your Child Thrive
As a parent, it’s natural to want the best for your children. You want them to excel academically, thrive in sports and extracurricular activities, develop healthy relationships, and feel confident in their abilities. Yet, today’s world poses significant challenges that make it harder for kids to find that balance. Social media, academic pressures, unrealistic standards, the need to excel in sports, and a constant barrage of comparisons create a breeding ground for anxiety, stress, and low self-esteem in children and has created a youth mental health crisis.
The numbers speak for themselves. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, nearly 32% of adolescents between 13-18 years old experience some form of anxiety disorder. The pressure to succeed—whether in the classroom, on the playing field, or socially—can feel overwhelming for children. Social media only magnifies these challenges, often leaving kids questioning their worth and feeling like they aren’t measuring up.
The S.C.O.R.E.® Success System, discovered by Jim Fannin in 1974, offers parents a powerful toolkit to help their children navigate these pressures while fostering a family culture of balance, success, and well-being. By integrating the five pillars of S.C.O.R.E.®—Self-discipline, Concentration, Optimism, Relaxation, and Enjoyment—into your family’s everyday life, you can create a support system that equips your children to handle the stressors they face with confidence, resilience, and a positive mindset. Ultimately developing world class decision makers with a blueprint for success.
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The Challenges Kids Face Today: Youth Mental Health
Before we dive into how the S.C.O.R.E.® System can help, it’s essential to understand the environment our children are growing up in and how it is effecting youth mental health.
Social Media and Comparison:
Smartphones and social media platforms have become a central part of children’s lives. On the surface, these platforms seem to foster connection, but they often lead to harmful comparisons. Kids are bombarded with highlight reels of their peers’ lives, creating unrealistic standards of beauty, success, and happiness. Research shows that prolonged social media use is linked to higher levels of anxiety and depression in children and a decrease in overall youth mental health. As kids compare themselves to others online, they can start to feel inadequate or left out, which negatively impacts their confidence and self-esteem.
Academic and Athletic Pressure:
The pressure to succeed in both academics and sports has never been greater. From a young age, children are pushed to excel in school, compete in sports, and engage in extracurricular activities. While achievement is important, the intense focus on success can lead to burnout, anxiety, and even a fear of failure exasperating the youth mental health crisis. Kids may feel like they need to be perfect to meet expectations, which can hinder their overall youth mental health and well-being.
Anxiety and Stress:
A recent study from the American Psychological Association found that teenagers report levels of stress comparable to those of adults. The combination of academic pressure, social media comparisons, and the expectations to perform athletically can create a heightened sense of anxiety. For some children, this anxiety can spiral into panic attacks, depression, and avoidance behaviors.
With these challenges in mind, the question becomes: how can parents equip their children to face these pressures and still find joy, confidence, and success in their lives? This is where the S.C.O.R.E.® Success System comes in.
How the S.C.O.R.E.® System Can Help Your Child Thrive
The S.C.O.R.E.® Success System is built on five core principles that, when applied, help children achieve a balanced mindset that supports both mental and emotional well-being. By teaching your children how to apply the S.C.O.R.E.® markers—Self-discipline, Concentration, Optimism, Relaxation, and Enjoyment—you can foster a home environment that encourages them to handle stress, resist unhealthy comparisons, manage their daily thoughts and develop resilience in the face of adversity.
Self-Discipline: Building Healthy Habits and Structure
Self-discipline is the foundation of the S.C.O.R.E.® System and a critical skill for children to develop in today’s world. It’s easy for kids to get distracted by social media, video games, or the pressure to keep up with peers. However, Self-discipline helps them stay focused on their goals and build healthy habits that will serve them in all areas of life.
Incorporating Self-discipline into your family’s routine can start with simple practices like setting designated homework times, limiting screen time, and encouraging your child to engage in physical activity. By teaching Self-discipline early, you help your child develop the ability to make better choices and resist distractions. Self-discipline isn’t just about academics or sports; it’s about fostering an attitude of personal responsibility and perseverance that will benefit your child in every aspect of life.
Example: If your child feels overwhelmed by the pressure to succeed in school, teaching them Self-discipline in the form of time management can alleviate some of that stress. Instead of cramming the night before an exam, your child will learn how to break tasks into manageable chunks, limit distractions, think less and produce more in a shorter amount of time.
Concentration: Focus Amidst Distraction
Concentration is an essential skill for children, especially in today’s distraction-heavy environment. Whether it’s the constant notifications from social media or the need to juggle multiple activities, children often struggle to focus on the task at hand and stay connected to the present moment.
By applying the principle of Concentration, you can help your child develop the ability to stay present and give their full attention to whatever they’re doing—whether it’s studying for a test, practicing for a game, or spending time with family. Concentration also plays a vital role in managing social media use. Encouraging kids to take “focus breaks,” where they step away from their devices and center their attention on one activity, can improve their productivity and mental clarity.
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Example: If your child is struggling with focus during study time, you can use the S.C.O.R.E.® principle of Concentration by setting up a distraction-free environment and encouraging short, focused study sessions followed by breaks. This method has been proven to improve concentration and help kids retain more information, reducing stress and increasing academic success.
Optimism: Developing a Positive Mindset
Optimism is a powerful tool for building resilience in children. In today’s world, where kids face constant pressure to achieve, it’s easy for them to fall into negative thinking patterns, particularly when things don’t go as planned. Social media, with its curated perfection, can make children feel like they aren’t measuring up, leading to feelings of inadequacy.
By fostering Optimism, you can help your child reframe challenges as opportunities for growth. Teaching them to adopt a positive mindset when they encounter difficulties—in school, sports, or friendships—helps them bounce back from setbacks with greater confidence. Optimism isn’t about ignoring challenges; it’s about approaching them with the belief that they are solvable and that failure is just a learning experience and a stepping stone to success.
Example: When your child doesn’t make the team or gets a lower grade than expected, use the principle of Optimism to encourage them to see the situation as an opportunity to learn and improve. By celebrating their efforts rather than just the outcomes, you reinforce the idea that persistence and a positive attitude are the keys to long-term success.
Relaxation: Managing Stress and Anxiety
Relaxation is an essential marker in the S.C.O.R.E.® System, especially given the high levels of anxiety and stress many children face today. Whether it’s the pressure to perform academically, athletically, or socially, children need tools to manage their stress effectively.
Teaching your child Relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing, mindfulness, or simply taking a break from their busy schedule, can help them decompress and reset. This reduces anxiety and helps them approach challenges with a calm and focused mindset. Relaxation also promotes better sleep, which is essential for cognitive function and emotional regulation.
Example: If your child is feeling anxious before an exam or a big game, guiding them through a simple relaxation technique—such as deep breathing or visualization—can help calm their nerves and improve their performance. When kids learn to manage their stress in healthy ways, they’re better equipped to face life’s challenges without feeling overwhelmed.
Enjoyment: Cultivating Joy and Passion
Finally, Enjoyment is a crucial component of the S.C.O.R.E.® System that often gets overlooked in the pursuit of success. Children today are often so focused on achieving their goals that they forget to enjoy the process. Yet, joy and passion are what fuel long-term success and fulfillment and positive youth mental health.
Encourage your child to find joy in their daily activities, whether it’s school, sports, or hobbies. By focusing on the Enjoyment of learning or the thrill of playing sports, rather than just the outcomes, children can develop a love for the process itself. This not only reduces the pressure they feel to achieve but also makes them more likely to stick with activities in the long run.
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Example: If your child feels burnt out from constant practice or studying, take a step back and remind them to enjoy what they’re doing. Whether it’s playing a sport they love or learning a subject they’re passionate about, fostering enjoyment ensures that they stay motivated and excited about their growth.
Creating a Family Fabric of Success with the S.C.O.R.E.® System
The S.C.O.R.E.® System isn’t just for children—it’s for families. By incorporating these five markers into your family’s daily life, you can create a culture of success, resilience, and positivity. This shared foundation will not only help your children manage today’s challenges but will also strengthen the bonds within your family.
Self-discipline can help establish routines that bring structure and balance to the household. Concentration allows for meaningful time spent together, free from distractions. Optimism creates an environment where setbacks are seen as growth opportunities. Relaxation ensures that both parents and children have the mental space to recharge, and Enjoyment ensures that you celebrate the journey, not just the destination.
In today’s fast-paced, high-pressure world, the S.C.O.R.E.® system offers a blueprint for success that emphasizes balance, mental wellness, and family connection. By instilling these principles in your children, you’re giving them the tools they need to thrive, no matter what challenges come their way.
Focus on youth mental health: Check out our Coach Your Kid To Greatness Masterclass