You have bad days — here’s why you should cut your tween some slack and let them have a bad day too

I remember the day I read an article stating that not allowing my tweens to have a bad day now and again was unrealistic. Feelings of guilt and hypocrisy washed over me as I clearly saw, in my mind’s eye, a lineup of all my bad days.

How could I expect my tweens to never have a bad day when I hadn’t figured it out?!

Your tween’s bad days don’t define them.

When we don’t give our tweens permission to be real, to have feelings they don’t know what to do with, or to feel angst and restlessness, we cheat them out of an opportunity to regulate their emotions.

We all have bad days. It’s how we handle them that matters.

Remind your tween that they just need to get through the day.

Sometimes the only cure for a bad day is a good night’s sleep.

Face the reality of hormonal mood swings head-on.

Help your tween develop a plan for coping with a mood swing in a healthy way. Allowing them to name it and then retreat to do an activity that will help them reset is invaluable.

Save the relationship — don’t talk.

Things said in the heat of the moment are rarely affirming. A hug and a word encouraging them to take some downtime will save you hours of undoing hurtful words.

So, when your tween is having a bad day — let them. Tomorrow is a chance for a fresh start — for both of you!

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