One thing we know for sure about teenagers is that they have BIG feelings about everything. We know this not just from experience but from actual research about adolescent development. We know that teens experience emotions with more intensity than adults – they feel higher highs and lower lows. We also know that they often experience these big feelings all of the sudden and it can be very overwhelming and unsettling. So the question is – knowing all of this – how do we help our teens learn how to manage those big feelings. AND – how do we teach them that their big feelings are not an excuse for big, explosive behavior? In today's episode we will explore:

• How to react in the moment when your teen is experiencing intense emotions.
• How to give them space to work through the emotions.
• How to process what happened
• How to hold your teen accountable to repair any hurtful behavior

We will also discuss why this process can be so difficult for parents who want a quick fix or who feel really uncomfortable with conflict and big emotions.