Teens often date more than one person before they finally become young adults, and parents need to be prepared to help them through the breakup. Coddling them can be part of what they need to be reassured that life will go on, but they must also be treated as the young adults they are growing into being. Parents must walk a fine line with their child, and it can be difficult for them to see the pain that comes with dating. While they have probably experienced the same thing, it is not always easy to be reassuring.
Teenagers are a mix of child and young adult, and many of them experience feelings very deeply. A parent who makes light of their youngster’s dating can find they are pushing them away, and their lines of communication might be severed. They can make the choice to treat them as adults, but they must remember their child might also need some old-fashioned parental guidance when the love of their life no longer wants to be with them.
Seeing the child they have raised happy in a relationship is a joy that parents look forward to, but they know it is likely the first dating relationship their youngster has will not last very long. Their concern is that the pain will not last, and they want their child to be able to date again. While it is easy to enjoy the happiness, they need to be prepared to shepherd their child through the pain.
Reassurance that there will be someone else in their future is not always a comfort to adults, so it can be a difficult thing to sell to a younger person. Parents should give their child some space, but they should also be prepared to sit and listen to them when it is time to open up about their pain. Handling the matter in this way will give their child the feeling they can always talk with their parents on adults matters of love and dating.
