(Courtesy Netflix)
It’s the eighth day of my list exploring the 13 ways I, as an NYC therapist who works with teens, think the Netflix drama series 13 Reasons Why expands the conversation on teens and mental health:
8. Distant Parents Or Family
Parents in the show check in with their kids, more as a way of catching up rather than being relational. For example, both Hannah and Clay’s parents are loving but distant. The love they have for their children is clear, but both sets of parents are far from what is going on with their teens at school and in their daily lives. The relation between teens and parents changes at this time of life, making it, in some ways, harder to be close to your kid. Parents need to find a new type of closeness. This can mean moving away from managing and teaching a middle school-age child to letting your teen come to you with stuff, while still finding ways to let them know you’re there.
