Heartbreak: Helping Your Kid Through

HEARTBREAK. WE’VE ALL BEEN THROUGH IT AND IT SUCKS!

Getting through the grief of lost love takes time. As adults we know this, but can you remember when you didn’t and you thought the pain might last forever? For parents trying to console kids through the pain of heartbreak, it’s important to try to normalize with your child that it’s going to take time. 

What your kid doesn’t need is you to try and convince him or her to feel differently. Sometimes an arm around the shoulder is the best thing you can do. Try to show to your kid in some way that you “get it.” If you feel comfortable sharing your own stories of heartbreak and romantic loss, go ahead!

THEY’LL GET THROUGH IT AND SO WILL YOU

If your child is showing self destructive tendencies to cope with heartbreak, then get a therapist involved. But when it comes to grief, the best thing you can do is just be there for them. They’ll get through it, and so will you when you watch this Tips on Teens. 

“My 16 year old son got his heart broken for the first time about a month ago. It was particularly humiliating because the girl was cheating on him and his friends knew before he did. To him it feels like the end of the world. We’ve tried to help him get his mind off it by taking him out to do stuff, and we planned a vacation for Spring Break. We told him there will be other loves, and tried to make him see the bigger picture, but nothing is working. Any advice?”