How to show up for teens when big emotions arise
Being a teenager is hard. Every day holds the possibility of emotional highs and lows, and parents don't always know how to be supportive. Lisa Damour , a clinical psychologist, says instead of jumping into problem-solving mode, parents can learn to ride the wave of emotional management with their teens. :
●When a teen is experiencing low self-esteem, Damour says comfort doesn't work nearly as well as we would like. . Try saying, "You know that's not true, but it must feel awful to feel that way."
●Talking about emotions is good, but there can be a tipping point (引爆点) when talking too much about feelings. In this case, Damour suggests comforting and then shifting a teen who's overprocessing their emotions into a healthy distraction. .
●For the teen who doesn't talk about their feelings, . Listening to music, playing sports and making art are healthy ways for teens to work through emotions that don't involve having a discussion.
●. But Damour notes that when a teen's feelings are out of control and they're using destructive behaviors to cope, it's time to step in and give more support or seek professional help.
A. Worse still, it brings more conflicts
B. Here are some of Damour's takeaways
C. Avoiding contact with them is a possible option
D. Instead, Damour suggests empathizing how the teen feels
E. Suggest doing an activity they enjoy and revisit the issue the next day
F. Damour reminds parents of healthy non-verbal ways to process emotions
G. Your teens deserve encouraging when their emotions are handled in a healthy way
