During summer, preteens don’t experience a lot of pressure in their lives. However, back to school time is just a month or two away. During back to school, they experience a ton of pressure on all fronts.

Preteens are under pressure at school, home, and in extra-curricular activities. They feel the pressure from parents, coaches and teachers to excel, often confusing perfectionism with doing your best.

Preteens are also under pressure at church, thinking they have to be perfect Christians. They feel horrible when they mess up and fail, often concluding that following Jesus is too difficult. Sin exposes their weaknesses, often making preteens feel like they let God down by making bad decisions.

Here are a four ways to relieve preteen pressure:

  • Teach preteens the difference between doing their best and perfectionism. Encourage them to give 110% in everything they do, and tell them it’s okay if that means a C in math or not making it to the championships.
  • Help preteens see their motivation in doing well at school and activities. Is their motivation to be “all that”? Pride has a way of being destructive in the end. Help students see that their motivation for excellence should be to honor God in everything they do.
  • Communicate that failure is a good thing, not bad. Failure is a chance to grow, learn, and improve. Everyone will fail, just learn from it and allow God to shine through failures.
  • Tell preteens that God loves them as-is, unconditionally. There is nothing they have to do to earn God’s love – it’s a free gift he offers willingly. God accepts them just the way they are – imperfect human beings.

If you’re looking for a resource to help relieve preteen pressure, check out the Under Pressure series we just released, which is one of two new back to school series. The other one is The Power of Influence, which will help students discover who & what influences them. They’ll also be challenged to positively influence others.

Enjoy your summer!