“My son is struggling to finish his college semester back home. How can I help him?”

For many college students, COVID-19 meant leaving school and moving back home for the last semester. And while learning on campus has stopped, exams and coursework haven’t. The switch from being in a structured academic environment to being stuck at home can pose a challenge for even the hardiest student. So what can parents do to help? This week’s #TipsOnTeens question is from a family wondering how to support their son as he wraps up his college semester:

“Like so many other college students, my son is home now trying to finish his semester. He hasn’t been doing well. He seems depressed, can’t focus on his work and is in danger of flunking this semester. He’s usually a great student. We try to help, but he just gets mad at us. He lies in his bed and scrolls through his phone all day. He’s 20 years old and was living independently before quarantine. I feel like taking his phone away is treating him like a child. What do we do?”