Tonight with your 13 to 17 year old
The prompt
“Have you ever been stuck in the middle when two people you care about were in conflict with each other?”
What to listen for
If they share the story, listen for whether they felt pressured to pick a side, that pressure is often the hardest part, more than the actual disagreement between the two people.
If they describe trying to stay neutral or help both people, that's a sign of real emotional maturity and care for the relationships involved, worth naming out loud.
If they seem to still be carrying some guilt or discomfort about it, resist telling them what they should have done, just let them know being caught in the middle is genuinely hard, full stop.
What this tells you
This tells you how they navigate loyalty and fairness when the people they love are pulling in different directions.