And Make It Back to School Without Meltdowns By a Synapse Parent I used to think summer was the easy bit. No school runs. No homework. No scrambling for lost PE kits before 8am. Just long, lazy days of “freedom.” But a couple of years ago, I learned the hard way that freedom without structure […]
If your child has become quieter, moodier, more avoidant – or just not quite themselves lately – it might be anxiety showing up in disguise. Teenagers rarely say “I’m anxious.” They say “I can’t deal with school,” “Leave me alone,” or mosttimes nothing at all. As parents, this can leave us guessing… and worrying! At […]
If you’re worried about your child right now, you are far from alone. So many parents see their teenagers feeling anxious, unmotivated, or stuck and it’s heartbreaking to watch. It can be even harder if your child is coming to terms with living with ADHD or other neurodiverse needs, where school pressures, social struggles and […]
Parenting teenagers today can feel overwhelming. Grades, sports, extracurriculars, social lives, future careers — the pressure is relentless. Yet, in our experience at Synapse, it’s often not the missing exam grade or the failed music audition that leaves young people struggling. Instead, it’s gaps in the life skills that truly sustain mental health and resilience. […]
If you’ve ever heard your teenager mention the “80/20 rule,” talk about “nerfing,” or post something as simple as “I had pasta tonight” — you might wonder if they’re speaking a different language. They kind of are. Teenage slang shifts daily, driven by TikTok, gaming and fast-moving online trends. And while some of these phrases […]
Picture this. Your child is surrounded by classmates at school. Or scrolling through endless social feeds. Maybe even chatting with a friend over FaceTime. Yet inside, they feel utterly alone. It sounds impossible — but it’s real. And right now, it’s happening to a staggering number of young people. A new study by the BACP […]
Support their Wellbeing. Build Coping Skills. Prevent Burnout. The academic year is over – and for many young people, that’s a huge relief. But while summer offers a break from homework, tests and rigid schedules, it can also be a time when emotional wellbeing quietly unravels. That’s why summer isn’t just for rest -it’s also […]
How Coaching Can Support Young People – and Their Parents – After Diagnosis When your child is diagnosed with ADHD, it can feel like a mix of relief and overwhelm. Finally, there’s an explanation for the challenges they’ve been facing. The forgetfulness, the meltdowns, the spirals of motivation and shutdown – they’re not character flaws. […]
Why Emotional Resilience – Not Perfection – Is the Real Goal When we ask ourselves what our number one job is as parents, we would all agree that we want to help our kids become independent and well-adjusted adults. We want them to grow into human beings who can take care of themselves, as well […]
We all understand the value of physical fitness. We invest in personal trainers, sport coaches, and structured programmes to help our bodies grow stronger, more resilient and better able to handle life’s demands. But what about our minds? In today’s fast-paced, high-pressure world, young people need more than crisis support. They need structure, skill-building and […]
Why Some Young People Pull Away When They’re Struggling Most. When we think of anxiety, we often picture someone looking visibly panicked: heart racing, hands shaking, overwhelmed by fear. But for many young people, anxiety doesn’t look like worry.It looks like avoidance. They skip homework. They ignore messages. They don’t show up.They seem lazy, unmotivated […]
Every young person struggles at some point. The difference isn’t whether they experience pressure—it’s whether they have the tools to cope. At Synapse, we believe that coping capacity isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s foundational. It’s the difference between stress that builds resilience, and stress that leads to shutdown. This blog explores what coping really means, why […]
