Sometimes life is just tough!! Teens work so hard at not needing you that it can come as a complete shock when they do! And when they do, and can let go of their " I can do it all by myself" you will be the first in line. And when that moment comes, you might not even have to say one word. Not a what's wrong? not a "here's what I think you should do" and definitely not an "I told you so!" Just open arms and open laps and the comfort that only a mom or dad can give.
Problem solving is what we do. But we do comfort even better. Don't confuse the two. You will know if your teen needs your help, because they will ask for it. And if they don't ask, probably better to just let it be. Understanding a teen's emotional life is a challenge. Just when you think you have a handle on what pushes their buttons, a new button appears and catches you completely off-guard. This new person that is emerging is like a surprise birthday party, sometimes you love it and sometimes you wished they had just send a card!
If any of you have read my new book: A Survival Guide To Parenting Teens: Talking To Your Kids About Sexting, Drinking, Drugs, and Other things That Freak you..Thank you! If you like the book and feel like writing a review on Amazon I would be grateful. Let me know when you post it by emailing me at joani@joanigeltman.com, give me your address and I will send you my first book: I Get It: Three Magic Words For Parents Of Teens as a thank you gift. Here is the link:
https://www.amazon.com/review/create-review?ie=UTF8&asin=0814433669&channel=reviews-product&nodeID=&ref_=cm_cr_pr_wr_but_top#