By Leslie Cornejo
Watching your teen struggle with friendships, feel left out, or navigate the ups and downs of social life can be tough. You want to help them and fix everything, but you’re just not sure how. Let’s explore ways to support them and guide them toward positive, healthy friendships.
The teenage years are filled with new starts, heartbreaks, friendships, and memories. This is also around the time teenagers are going through physical changes. Not only are they going through physical changes, but they are also going through a range of emotions.
This is not an easy time for a teenager, so having friends who are there for them is important. What do you do when your teenager is going through friendship issues? How can you support them with love and understanding?
Why Are Teenage Friendships So Important?
Teenage friendships can last a lifetime or be short-lived. During adolescence, friendships play a crucial role in emotional and social development.
As teenagers begin to form their own identities and seek independence from their parents, friends become an essential source of connection, support, and belonging.
Positive friendships can help reduce levels of stress, anxiety, and loneliness. However, when friendship becomes hard to maintain, it can deeply affect the teens’ mood and overall well-being.
What Are the Most Common Friendship Issues Teenagers Face?
While friendships can be a source of joy and support, they can also bring confusion, hurt feelings, and change. Some of the most common friendship issues teenagers face include jealousy, peer pressure, and toxic friendships.
Friendships can change as teens grow older, their interests change, and/or they move to a different state or school. “Frenemies” is another common issue among teen friendships. This happens when someone pretends to be your friend and roots against you behind your back.
Social media can also lead to issues in teen friendships. Social media can add peer pressure when it comes to how many followers you have or if you are following someone your friend doesn’t like. TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook are all commonly used by teenagers (hopefully with parental supervision).
How Do I Know If My Teen Is Struggling With Friendship Issues?
If your teens are struggling with their friendships, there will be signs. You may notice your teen has sudden mood changes, isolating themselves, anxiety, and avoidance.
They might say they are feeling sick every time there is a social gathering or when they have to go to school. Their self-esteem can be affected, changes in their sleep or eating behaviors, and fear of rejection.
How Can You Support Your Teen Through Friendship Struggles?
- Get to know your teens’ friends. Invite their friends over, ask who they hang around with, or connect with other parents to stay in the loop.
- Remind them you’re there. Let your teen know they can talk to you about anything, anytime.
- Listen fully and validate their feelings. Use active listening skills and let them know their emotions make sense.
- Don’t jump in to fix their problems. Give them space to process and figure things out with your support.
- Talk about therapy if needed. Explain how therapy can help them work through tough emotions and build healthy communication and coping skills.
How Can You Help Your Teen Build Healthy Friendships?
Here are some ways you can help your teenager build positive, healthy friendships:
- Be a positive role model by showing them what a healthy friendship looks like.
- Let them know it’s okay to make new friends and put themselves out there.
- Encourage them to enroll in new activities where they can meet new friends.
- Talk to them about setting boundaries for themselves and what they look for in a friend.
- Build their confidence by using positive affirmations, complimenting them, or buying a new outfit.
Remind yourself you are not alone and talk to your friends or family about this. All teens go through friendship issues; they just need to know you are there for them.
If needed, talk to your teenager about therapy and how it can help them work through their emotions. We’re here to support you and answer any questions—get started by scheduling a free consultation call here.
About the Author:
Leslie Cornejo, Counseling Intern
Leslie brings over 9 years of experience in the healthcare field and a deep passion for working with first-generation immigrants, particularly those from Hispanic backgrounds.
She specializes in immigration issues, anxiety, depression, grief, family conflict, self-esteem, and relational issues.