Tonight with your 13 to 17 year old
The prompt
“Do you notice your mood shifting with the seasons or the weather, like certain times of year hit different?”
What to listen for
If they describe real patterns, brighter in summer, heavier in winter, that self-awareness is valuable and worth taking seriously, not dismissing as mood swings; they need to feel like their internal weather is something they're allowed to track and name.
If they mention a season that's consistently hard, gently note that without alarm, they need to know it's fine to bring up again if it ever feels like more than just a passing mood.
If they say they don't really notice a pattern, that's a fine answer too, self-awareness like this develops over time.
What this tells you
How their mood shifts with seasons shows you a piece of their emotional rhythm worth keeping in the back of your mind.