Tips to Help Teens Process Big Emotions by Fern Weis, Parent + Family Recovery Coach
- Bergen County Moms
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Have you ever kept your feelings to yourself? Because they're big, maybe too risky to express? If so, you can understand why your teen may hide their feelings and shut you out.
While it's normal that kids don't want to share with their parents, there's a big downside. Hidden, negative feelings grow and lead to depression and isolation. They see their feelings as bad, and judge themselves as different, weird, abnormal.
The first step to help your teen through this is to neutralize and normalize those big emotions. Here are three conversation starters:
To be human is to have feelings.
Feelings just are. They come and they go.
It's normal/understandable for you to feel this way i.e. given what you went through.
It doesn't matter if it's something that happened to them or a problem of their own making. Emotions must be expressed in some way, allowed to leave the mind and body.
The sooner you start, the better your teen's mental health can be. Today is a good day to start.
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Want to learn how to talk to your teen so they'll actually listen? Sign up HERE for a free communication guide, "10 Things to Avoid Saying to Your Teen."Â
Fern Weis is a certified life coach who learned that caring and good intentions are not enough in parenting. In fact, they are often the problem! Fern supports parents of teens and young adults who are going through difficult situations, including addiction recovery. She helps parents release guilt, end enabling and confidently prepare their children to thrive through life's challenges. Her articles are featured in Thrive Global, Medium, Motherly, The Teen Mentor, and Bergen County Moms.
Learn more about coaching and classes at www.fernweis.com. And then download your free guide, "Five Powerful Steps to Get Your Teen to Talk." For information on Family Recovery programs, visit www.familyrecoverypartners.com.