You were looking into minimally invasive bunion surgery when you get a distressing phone call from your teen. They just experienced their first breakup, and they are absolutely devastated. We’re offering 3 tips to help your teen through their first heartbreak. Grab the tissues for them, and let’s get into it.
Share Your Story
If your teenager is experiencing their first heartbreak, it’s important that you share your first heartbreak story with them. Right now, your teen is feeling lost and going through something they never have before. They aren’t sure how to process it or how to feel, and this could make them feel incredibly alone. Sharing your story will help them realize they actually aren’t alone.
Sit down with your teen and give them the story about your first breakup. Explain how you felt the same way, but eventually you moved on from it. This will encourage them and let them know that this feeling won’t last forever. It’s also an opportunity for the two of you to bond – this connection will help them feel less afraid or isolated after a breakup.
Give Them Time to Grieve
You want to give your child time to grieve immediately following their first heartbreak. While it will be painful for you to see them shutting themselves in their room crying, it’s important that you allow them to do so. They’re working through tough feelings that they hadn’t experienced up until this point. It’s crucial that they learn how to self-soothe and go through the feelings instead of distracting themselves or seeking comfort elsewhere.
The amount of time a child spends grieving is dependent on the circumstances and their personality. However, if they spend more than a week locked in their room, it might be time to gently intervene. After all, you don’t want them to spiral down a depressive route. This is where the next tip comes in handy.
Encourage Them to Remember What They Love
After your child has spent time grieving, you’ll want to remind them of all the beauty and love that still exists in this world. Encourage them to get back out there and explore the things that they enjoyed. Remind them that even after a breakup, not all is lost. While their heart may be hurting, this will get better with time.
You could even take them to one of their favorite places if they aren’t motivated quite yet to do something on their own. Spend time with them if that’s what they wish. If they would rather spend time with friends, you need to be okay with that as well. It’s important that you give them the space they need and let them know you’re there for them if they need it.
The Rundown
We all remember our first heartbreak and how much it hurt. Take what you’ve learned with getting over a breakup and use your experience to help your child process this challenging time in their life.
My kids are approaching high school age, and they live out of state, so it’s really mom guiding them in the right direction. But they know how much I love them. Anyway, good read and I wish you all success.