Teen love is cute, but teen break-ups can be brutal. The way we support our kids matters in the way they bounce back from break-ups.
Sometimes we’ll be delighted and say something like,
“That kid was no good. In a few weeks you’ll be glad it’s over.”
Or we get annoyed at our children for being emotional, telling them they’ll get over it, or to stop blowing it out of proportion.
But disapproval doesn’t help matters.
Sometimes we dismiss the pain our teen is feeling by saying things like:
“Don’t worry. You’ll get over that one.”
“Plenty more fish in the sea.” Or
“You don’t really know what real love is yet. That was just puppy love.”
But this doesn’t help. It only re-emphasises that we don’t understand what life is like for them.
What your children do need is space, emotional availability, and empathy. Be there to support them, validate them, and love them – and help them learn from the relationship.
