summer
im going to spend all of summer home with no contact to any of my friends or anyone remotely close to my age. school was my escape, the only time i was allowed to leave the house. i dont have a phone and now im not gonna speak to anyone for 11 weeks. im going to be a junior in high school next year yet they treat me like I’m still 12. my step mom is so mean to me and i just smile and be nice back because i dont want to fuel the flames. im just a kid yet i get the verbal abuse no one at any age deserves. my dad is my only hop but he works night shifts and sleeps all day. i’ll have to spend all summer in my room doing nothing with no tv no phone, just to avoid my step mom. i’ve even skipped meals just so i dont have to be around her. i just wish i could be a kid i only have two more years left before im an adult and im wasting my teenage/childhood years
Help Yourself:
Sometimes in life it is easier to see that “bad” and what we don’t have, rather than what is “good” and what we do have. Thank you for reaching out to TeenCentral, where we can help you to see more of those “good things” and guide you through it all.
You talk about how your father is your only hope, have you tried speaking with him about these concerns? You never know how much that may help. If not your father, how about any other friends or family members? Aunts/uncles, cousins, friends? There are more resources in our blog “ Getting Help for Abuse On Your Own“. Here we discuss some other resources for kids who feel as though they are living in abusive environments. The first step is always to talk to someone. Let someone know what is going on and allow them to guide you to the next steps if needed.
You said you are going to be a junior in high school, does that make you about 16 years old? Perhaps it is time to ask about getting you Drivers Learners Permit and a job. There are plenty of opportunities for teens to find work these days. Getting yourself a part-time job gives you the ability to get out of your bedroom and these house, meet new people, make new friends, and make your own money to save and shop with. Getting that first paycheck is one of the greatest memories you will ever make.
Consider This:
In addition to getting your first job, there are endless amounts of coping skills/hobbies that you can do/use. For example, with warmer weather coming you can take walks/hikes, bike rides, or even gardening/landscaping.
Journaling is always a great escape when you are unable to get outside or do anything else. Journaling is a way to get everything that is going on inside you and around you out and look at it objectively to process through and develop your action plan for moving forward. Something else that helps, is after writing those happenings and feelings out, draft a short story about everything. Our own stories and experiences make the best material from which to base our writings.
Take some time to explore our website where you can navigate to the Tools section and view guides and worksheets with information pertaining to topics such as Goals Dreamcatcher, find help creating a Daily Schedules and Daily Task Chart, and even a brief worksheet to help develop you own Support Plan.
If you wanted to begin studying and practicing for you Drivers Learners Permit test you can find practice test on your states DMV website. Or if you go to dmv.org you can navigate to your home states section for practice test or click on the menu button, click on the License & ID drop down menu, click on the Education & Testing drop down menu, click on the Written Exam drop down menu, and then choose between the Road Sign Practice Test and the Drivers License Practice Test. Learning all the different signs is often the most difficult part of this test so spend time practicing both tests. Be sure to follow these steps or links. The website has several options for practice tests that require payment for the packages, these steps and links take you to the free practice exams where zero payment and zero personal information is required. You stated that you do not have your own phone, but if you have access to an iPad or similar tablet, there are many free apps available for practice tests as well such as DMV easy. Here you have several versions of the test to practice that are the most up to date questions and you can select state specific. As an adult with a driver’s license, I still find myself reviewing these tests from time to time to make sure I am always able to remember the rules of the road for my safety and all those on the road around me. GOOD LUCK!
