QUESTION:
My teenage daughter was feeling very emotional and acting out about her after-school commitments. Last week, she was emotional about having too much homework to catch up on after missing a week of school. Everything I said she would contradict. She says she wants help to feel better but keeps shutting me down. How do I help?
ANSWER:
Hold space for her emotions by listening and loving. Reassure her that her emotions are simply cells moving in her body. Encourage her to sit with them and identify and describe them and they will subside on their own. This is not actually about the activities or the homework. Notice how she felt the same in both situations, so we know that changing the circumstance is not going to resolve the problem or be in her best long term interest. This is about feeling overwhelm and learning to process it. Learning to process emotion in a safe space is such a gift to her. Give her the time and confidence that “this too shall pass”.
