How to Help Your Teenager Through First Breakup?
The termination of a partnership, if it was your teenager’s initial genuine love or a summertime fling, may be profoundly distressing for a teenager who is just discovering about heartache. They’re soaring on the blades of love one moment and then crashing into a sea of anguish the next.
Thankfully, you can utilize a breakup to educate your kid on how to cope with the sorrow, betrayal, frustration, and other feelings that come with the end of a relationship. Obviously, you’ll want to stay away from anything that can make your teenager feel terrible.
So, if you have no idea how to help your teenager who has recently been heart broken, continue reading this article to get pointers to help you.
Tips to Help Your Teenager Through Breakup?
1. Acknowledge Your Adolescent’s Feelings
Fight the desire to downplay your child’s feelings; even though you didn’t really think the connection was all that meaningful or that it would endure eternally doesn’t imply your adolescent didn’t care about their ex. Although it’s improbable that they’d have lived happily forever, it’s possible that your adolescent believed they would. Nevertheless, your teen’s suffering is real and serious.
Acknowledge your teen’s sentiments with words like “I understand this is difficult dear,” or “I understand it’s how upsetting it is when a relationship ends,” . Saying words like “this isn’t actually a big problem” or “middle school romances don’t typically work out at all” should be avoided. These remarks, which are intended to downplay sadness or justify away the anguish, may make your teenager feel isolated, casually dismissed, and misinterpreted.
You might believe that your teen’s grief will be proportional to his or her gender, but don’t make that conclusion. Allowing preconceptions to influence how your youngster can or should communicate feelings is not a good idea.
2. Encourage Your Teen’s Choice
Even if your teen initiated the breakup, that doesn’t imply they won’t be disappointed. Occasionally, the one who opted to leave the relationship is the one who is more devastated. Nevertheless, if a split occurs, stand by your youngster.
If you like their substantial other, don’t try to persuade them to stay together. Also, don’t say they made the incorrect decision. This is your kid’s relationship, so even if you believe ending it is a horrible idea, let your child make the decision. You can, nevertheless, chat to them about their sentiments and help them come to terms with why the relationship ended.
Now, at times it helps if your teenager is able to focus on anything else rather than the relationship. It would be nice for them if they are able to channel their energy into something new that they can work on. If they are passionate about cosmetics, you can help them start a lash business so that they can get something to keep them going.
3. Take them to a Shopping Spree
Every person who gets their heart broken wants to get rid of anything that reminds them of that particular person, and your teenager is not an exemption. Take some time off your daily schedules and take them out shopping. You can help them get new phone cases and accessories, more makeup brushes, and if it’s your son, a new gaming console would be great.
It may sound cheesy but sometimes shopping helps people get their things off for a while.
4. Find a Common Medium
Your first instinct can be to make well-intentioned, reassuring words to your youngster, like “you can do better” or “they were just not suitable for you anyhow.” You’ll likely tell them they’re too inexperienced to be that committed, or you’ll resort to the superficial relationship cliché, “There are dozens of fish in the ocean.” However, these attitudes are often ineffective.
It’s also not helpful or encouraging to say, “I told you so,” about a relationship you’ve warned them about. Condemning your teenager’s ex-boyfriend or girlfriend is likely to make them feel even worse. They’re also more inclined to be protective and hesitant to confide in you.
Alternatively, give them optimism for the future so they understand they won’t be sad for much longer. Consequently, don’t inspire children to run away from their unpleasant feelings. They will be able to heal via the grief process.
5. Discuss Issue Pertaining to Technology
Some teenagers hurry to upgrade their love situation and post facts about their life on social media. Have a talk with your child about taking a technology vacation for some time following the breakup so they don’t post anything they’ll feel ashamed of or face any online criticism.
Warn them against slamming ex-partners, publicizing private info of the breakup, or discussing anything private acquired during the relationship. Teenagers frequently lack the maturity to comprehend how to manage a breakup politely. They might need your help in deciding how to disclose facts about the relation to the world through platforms such as Instagram and social media platforms.
6. When Assistance is Required, Seek it
You may not always be the greatest person to support your kid through a difficult breakup. Getting an expert engaged can be somewhat beneficial, especially if your kid has been suffering for more than a couple of weeks or is exhibiting indicators that this split is troubling them more than usual.
If you’re experiencing symptoms of depression, eating disorders, or a radical shift in sleeping patterns, it’s time to seek treatment. Schedule an appointment for your teenager with their physician for a referral to a mental health specialist who specializes in teenage treatment.
The Bottom Line
Breakups are hard to deal with for an adult. So do not let your child suffer alone. Be there for them. All the best!