About this episode
Hey parents,Is your daughter – or someone she knows – struggling right now? As a parent it can be hard to know when to step in and when to step back.But, staying silent may send the wrong message.So, what can you do when in those tricky moments when you’re just not sure?Welcome back to the Cultivating Resilient Teens podcast where we’re going to share 4 Powerful Ways Your Teenage Daughter Can Help a Friend Who’s Struggling, because quite honestly, it’s not always easy or clear to know what to do or say.Especially because we’re all still weary from doing our best to get through the pandemic, that, as “one 16-year-old said of the generation’s pivotal moment: “Making history is way overrated.”According to a recent article in The New York Times, over five thousand young people wrote in to describe how the pandemic affected their lives and the collective sentiment was, well, consistent with what I saw in my private coaching practice.The Times states, “Being a teenager in the U.S. during the pandemic was lonely, disorienting, depressing and suffocating.”So, if your daughter or someone she knows is struggling, she’s not alone.And, although we’re making progress, we’re not out of the woods just yet.Healthy Relationships As we’ve talked about before, one of the beautiful qualities of teenage girls is, they are passionate about helping each other.The hard part is, sometimes, healthy boundaries get blurred in the process.When your daughter’s talking with a friend who’s struggling, she may:· Feel like she needs to “fix” her friend’s tough situation· Take on her friend’s stress because she believes that makes her a better friend· Struggle with her own thoughts and emotions about what’s happening· Indulge in or catastrophize the situation and create a mountain out of molehillBut, what’s most important for your daughter to understand is that healthy relationships are built on honesty, trust and being vulnerable together - NOT by taking on her friends’ problems OR feeling responsible for a solution. Be on the LookoutIf you notice a significant change in your daughter’s mood or appearance after she interacts with a friend who’s having trouble, it’s okay to recognize her effort and express your concern for your daughter’s well-being.You may say something like, “I admire your effort to be a good friend to Ella, though, I’m concerned about your well-being and how hard you may be taking this. Please let me know if YOU need someone to talk to.”Get the 4 Powerful Ways your daughter can help her friend and all of today's resources in the Show Notes on my website, cultivatingresilientteens.com.Podcast Resources:
