Middle school, the place where pre-teens identities are found through the locker filled halls. But according to a recent study, a survey found that 30 percent of teens reported feeling sad or depressed because of stress and 31 percent felt overwhelmed. Another 36 percent said that stress makes them tired and 23 percent said they’ve skipped meals because of it.
But some parents are denying that fact.”Unless they have a conflicted, awful relationship, parents give their kids the benefit of the doubt,” says Duke University psychologist Mark Leary. “They think their kids are smarter than they really are and probably more attractive than they really are.”
Parents are continuously denying the fact their students may have issues resolving around school. Bullying, political opinions, and countless other topics that students have resolved from older grades and even their own parents have a added pressure of school. Without the “utopia” of safe school environment, students have a lot on their plates when it comes to their schoolwork. SAT test expectations have increased by 30% over the past two years in middle school alone. Not to mention high school standards, where a huge increase of dropouts has our American education system concerned.
On the other end of the birth-order spectrum, parents may see their oldest child as a slacker, a byproduct of higher expectations for the oldest to excel academically and set an example for younger brothers and sisters. The parental refrain, “You could try so much harder,” may be familiar to many firstborns, but the reality is that, on average, oldest children outperform younger siblings academically. This adds another unnecessary deal of stress. Denial is also at the heart of a two-headed misconception having to do with children and aggression. Studies have shown that parents fail to recognize both when their children are being bullied and when they’re acting as bullies (another sign of stress levels.)
However, this can be reduced by a parent’s standpoint. Ask how your children are doing, and perhaps check in with teachers. A growing issue needs some work on both sides.
digestible intellect 
