This season of the Bachelor witnessed its fair share of heartaches with Jason rejecting all of his suitors in addition to the one he gave a ring to. All of us could relate to Melissa (the rejected one) and our collective response was something like, "What a Dog!!! How Could He??!!"

Now as a parent, it is even harder to deal with the heartache of your child's Puppy Love that becomes....well....poopy. Still, how we assist them through this process can prepare them for future heartaches and disappointments. A teenage broken heart is not something to take lightly. Remember, your teenager is already battling a war of hormones that are raging. Combine that with an emotional loss - you teen can spiral into some unhealthy behavior.

Here are a few tips to get your teen's broken heart on the mend:

Give Them Space
Demanding that the "talk about it" can backfire and cause your teen to retreat even further. Giving your teens the space to process is often the best medicine. Allow them to cry and have that form of release. Let them know that you are there to talk - but don't impose yourself on them when space is needed.

Listen and Reflect
Giving too much advice or dogging the former boyfriend or girlfriend is often not effective. Being empathetic and reflecting on their feelings rather than bombarding them with advice is often the most helpful tactic. Avoid such statements as "You're Young - You'll Get over It" or "You'll find somebody else". These statements, although well-intentioned, can be difficult to hear or receive. Feeling heard is often better than feeling bombarded with unsolicited advice.

Do Something Fun
Go to the mall or go grab some ice cream. Dong something fun is a great distraction. This also maybe a great time to gather her girlfriends or his buddies and grab some dinner or treat them to a movie. Because, the truth is that the emotional roller coaster of lost love is somehow easier to handle if you are actually on a roller coaster!

Help Them Refocus
Let's face it - teens have a hard time getting outside of themselves in the best of circumstances - but when it comes to heartache - it is hard for them to imagine a world outside of themselves. Letting them see the larger world will help put their pain in perspective. Have them to assist with a charity or find ways for them to volunteer. Get them into a home project - anything to get their minds off of themselves and into something healthy.

Offer Tools for Processing
Opening up to Mom and Dad is often not the choice of a grieving teen. There is no need to take that personally. Offer them other tools like a grief journal to record their feelings or provide another sympathetic adult in the form of a counselor or church leader. Your job is to be a parent - even in these circumstances; they made that more from you than being their friend.

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