How to Help Kids Through Friendship Breakups Without Making Things Worse

Do you remember the sting of not being invited to a birthday party or watching your friend sit at a different lunch table? Most adults can recall a falling out with a friend—also known as a friendship breakup. While romantic relationships and their endings get plenty of attention, friendship breakups are often overlooked, despite being just as painful and impactful. For adolescents, whose brains are wired for social connection, these rifts can feel world-ending. Parents and counselors play a crucial role in helping students navigate these experiences while also teaching them what it takes to build healthy, reciprocal friendships. In this episode, MindShift explores the science of friendship with journalist Lydia Denworth and hears from students, parents, and counselors about their experiences in the messy, meaningful world of adolescent friendships.

You can listen to How to Help Kids Through Friendship Breakups Without Making Things Worse online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

How to Help Kids Through Friendship Breakups Without Making Things Worse is an episode from Mindshift Podcast by KQED.

This episode is 21:55 long.

This episode was published on Aug 26, 2025.

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