Breaking up with a boyfriend or girlfriend can be incredibly hard for teenagers. In general, teenagers’ ability to take the long view is limited. Because of that, the ending of a 11-month long relationship (or even a 2-week long relationship) can feel like the end of the world, regardless of who even instigated the ending. There are few wise words to say to a teenager having a hard time dealing with a painful end to a relationship. Give them time and space to grieve. Then if they’re still grieving after a week or two or three, threaten to take them to dinner and a movie if they don’t find a friend to go with them instead. Hopefully, you’ll have a nice night out with your teenager, but at the very least they should have a nice night out with someone.
