PRACTICAL TIPS AND EXPERIENCE Dr Abraham grew up in the US as the daughter of South Asian immigrants and has lived with her husband and two sons in Asia, Europe, and the US. In the webinar, hosted by Jayne Constantinis, BBC World presenter, Dr Abraham shares her own personal family experiences of moving, and how one of her sons had adjusted to a recent move, while the other had needed more time to get used to a new school and environment. She talked about the advantages and challenges of
being a third culture teen, someone who is experiencing multiple levels of culture both in where they live and their family backgrounds. In a time when the pandemic has changed the way many schools operate, she suggested it might be time for parents to dial back a little on their expectations, too. Some children cope well with online school – others really struggle. It is not always helpful to have very high expectations of children when they are having to cope with challenges in their life in addition to academic pressure.
BOUNDARIES AND EXPERIMENTATION The teenage years are a time of great physical and mental development and Dr Abraham explains that although some young people may look like adults, their brain continues to develop until they are in their mid-20s. This is why teenagers indulge in risky behaviour
and why they sometimes make decisions which seem irrational and foolish when viewed from an adult perspective. She explains that this is because their prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain that deals with rational decision making, is still in development. Dr Abraham suggests that allowing experimentation,
but having clear boundaries, helps to keep teens safe but enables them to become more independent. As adolescence is a time of experimentation,
particularly with alcohol, and the webinar discusses the use of alcohol in a moral and culture context. From a medical point of view, Dr Abraham discusses why delaying alcohol use until late teens or twenties is benefi cial for young people both in a physical and a mental capacity.
HELPING YOUNG PEOPLE NAVIGATE LOSS AND BEREAVEMENT Fiona Murchie, managing editor of Relocate Global, raises the issue around Coivd-19 and how young people
may have lost a loved one in the pandemic. Dr Abraham recommends strategies to help teens cope with loss, whether it is the death of a family member, or the sense of loss that can come from having to say goodbye to school friends when it is time to move on. The webinar also features contributions from
Marianne Curphey, Relocate writer and specialist on work-life balance, and from Paul Williamson, executive coach, who has wide experience coaching adults in leadership roles. The panel discusses the role of parents in supporting teens during challenging times, and how having a cross-cultural experience can create teens who are bi-lingual, tolerant, engaged and adaptable.
WEBINAR REPLAY
Listen to the webinar at
relocateglobal.com and buy her book.
Think GLOBAL PEOPLE
WEBINAR
RAISING GLOBAL TEENS
DR ANISHA ABRAHAM
33
THINK GLOBAL PEOPLE FAMILY HEALTH
WATCH THE REPLAY
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