Episode Title: 14 Year Old Female: Dating/ Dance Tryouts/ Academics
14 Year Old Female: Dating/ Dance Tryouts/ Academics
Listen, as this freshman in high school shares her experience trying out for one of the top dance teams in the nation.
In this episode of A Teen’s Perspective, host Dr. RJ Jackson helping parents see the future. In this episode, Dr. RJ interviewed a 14-year-old high school sophomore, Lady Legasus. They discuss pressure that teens face in dating, athletics, academics and more.
Lady Legasus’ parents are both very involved and supportive in her life. She says that they are involved in all aspects of her life, helping her set and achieve many goals. Her sister is 8 years older than her, and their relationship is evolving from bickering siblings to a more mature, close relationship. Her early childhood with her family was defined by moving to many different cities for her dad’s job.
Lady Legasus explains how middle school was a particularly hard time for her, as she faced a lot of personal challenges during that time. She struggled to find genuine friends who she was able to trust and rely on. She and RJ emphasized that this is a crucial time in a young adult’s life, so parents should be extremely vigilant. She believes middle schoolers tend to act older than they actually are, and Lady Legasus identified this as a source of tension. It was hard to be in a group of friends who focused on things like dating, which she saw as something reserved for older teens and young adults. These tensions with friends are described in a conflict she experienced between her friends, Emma and Avery. This conflict involved gossiping and talking behind one another’s backs and led Lady Legasus to decide to end her friendship with Emma and Avery.
Next, RJ and Lady Legasus talk about the academic pressure that is present in her school. She states that academics are especially important at the school that she attends and that expectations are extremely high for students. The external pressure on the students has caused them to have unrealistic expectations for themselves academically, in Lady Legasus’ opinion. She is comforted that her parents don’t put a large amount of pressure on her – they expect her to do well, but they aren’t as rigid in their expectations as other student’s parents. Many students resort to partying, drinking, and using drugs to cope with the constant pressure and being overworked. Luckily, Lady Legasus’ outlet to deal with the stress of academics is dance.
Lady Legasus had the opportunity to audition for a dance team that she always dreamed about being a part of. The audition was a 4-day intensive that was both physically and emotionally exhausting. Lady Legasus describes the actual try-out as one of the most intense moments of her life. After completing the audition, she was confident, but during the waiting period, fears and doubts began to set in. After two days of waiting, all of her hard work, fear, and anxieties paid off; Lady Legasus got the announcement that she had made the team. She describes this as one of the happiest moments she had experienced in a long time. She attributes the success that she experienced to her relationship with God, where she was able to find comfort and peace throughout the whole process.
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