
Young people have just as complex friendships and relationships as adults.
So when they hear adults say, “Why don’t you just find other friends…” It feels like adults aren’t acknowledging how unrealistic that is. If it were that easy, they would have already done it.
Friendship is about recognizing the inherent worth of each individual within that relationship. A great question to ask a teen is, “Do you feel like you belong in this friendship, and do you want to belong in it?”
When your teen tells you about a problem with a friend, adults can ask,
“Do you want me to listen and give you advice? Or do you want to vent?”
Adults shouldn’t try to “fix” the friendship challenges. Instead, they should try to listen. Sometimes, teens want to talk so they don’t blow up at their friends.
Check our video recording to find out more and learn from youth about building and maintaining relationships.
If you have further questions or comments please drop us a line on Facebook, only through open communication do we grow and learn together!
Further reading and Resources:
- We Know Our Teens Are Suffering But Do We Know How We Can Help?
- Acknowledging the Pain and Celebrating the Small Moments of Joy
- Six ways to help kids transition back to school after distance learning
- Suicide Prevention Lifeline #1-800-273-8255 (TALK) or 1-800-SUICIDE
- Crisis Text Line- Text NAMI to 741-741
- The Trevor Project (LGBTQ Youth) #1-866-488-7386