My son called me to be picked up early after school because he said he didn't have any homework and that he wasn't feeling well. In the car I asked him about the physical symptoms, and he said he was "all right." It was his sister who quietly used her psychic abilities to say that a girl had broken up with him.
"No!" he said angrily.
I could feel my 13-year-old son's sullen pain and I was in pain too! I instantly wanted to protect him, tell him that girl isn't worth it! I also thought, uh, oh, how to deal with teen emotions! He didn't want to talk about anything.
It sounds like sharing your experiences with them can help in just about any topic.
I agree! My son didn’t make the volleyball team today, so I told him how, as a ninth grader, I was the final hitter in the final inning and I struck out, losing and ending the game. Everybody on my team looked at me like “You blew it!” but couldn’t say anything and just walked away bummed. He laughed.