My teen just scared the shit out of me. Now what?

When your teen says something that scares you, it's perfectly natural to tell them why they’re wrong. 

When they say, “I’m so dumb,” you tell them, “Oh honey, that’s not true. You are very smart. You just got an A on your paper.”

When they say, “I have no friends. Nobody likes me,” you tell them, “Of course you have friends that love you and want to hang out with you!”

When they say, “You love my sister more than me,” you tell them, “That’s the furthest thing from the truth. How could you even say that?!”

When your teen makes a comment that is a negative reflection of their worthiness, it feels horrible. (And a little frightening too.)

An overwhelming urge to immediately change your teen’s thinking takes over.

You feel compelled to tell them why what they said isn’t true.

This feels better for the moment because you assume you corrected their thinking.

But unfortunately, that’s not how it works.

Your teen’s heavy thoughts create big, heavy emotions.

And telling them they are wrong doesn’t get to the root of the problem.

If you want to change their thought pattern, first help them with their big feelings.

But before that, you must calm YOUR thoughts about what they said.

This is the hard part.

Because your nervous system response is firing with worry, fear, and panic.

And you are wired to get rid of those big feelings ASAP.

But when you settle your own thoughts and feelings about your teen’s self-worth, you can effectively help them.

This is a tricky dynamic between you and your teen that is a challenge to navigate.

I can help you with this so you feel better and your teen gains confidence.

Let’s do this.

♥️ Jeanine

P.S. Here’s the link to get started: CLICK HERE.

P.P.S. Head on over to Instagram for more parenting strategies.

Jeanine Mouchawar

Hi! I’m Jeanine, a parenting coach for dedicated moms and dads who want to help their children thrive and deepen their connection. My Parenting Mastery program is curated for you.

https://www.jeaninemouchawar.com
Previous
Previous

Asking for help is hard.

Next
Next

There is one simple reason why there’s tension between you and your teen.