Parenting a struggling teen support in Norway 🇳🇴

“When your teen is struggling, you will feel like you are failing. You are not. The lying and the vaping and the closed door, it is not about you. Keep the small routines. For me it was Sunday hiking. One hour. It doesn't fix anything but it keeps you standing. Ask for help even if you are the one who usually gives it. And when they come out of their room for dinner, just say the food is good. Don't make it a big thing. They will come back when they are ready. In the meantime, you have to keep yourself well.”

“If you're at the start of this, I won't pretend it's easy. The first few months were the worst of my life. But I'm writing this from the other side, and some days now I forget to be sad. I had to ask for help and it nearly killed me, but it was the right thing. Go slowly.”

“This time last year I was exactly where you are. The worst part was a friend group I do not trust. Today I went for a walk and didn't cry once. Things come back, slower than you'd like but they do. From someone who gets it.”

“Dear stranger, this time last year I was exactly where you are. It was vaping and lying and I couldn't see past it. These days I mostly feel like me. It comes back so slowly you don't notice until one day you do. From someone who gets it.”