Don't diminish their feelings by dismissing them or overlooking them. First and foremost is to be available to them and to be an active listener. Really tune in to them and what they are saying to you. Listen with your heart. Be sensitive to the myriad of emotions they may be experiencing.
Adolescence is a fragile time for kids.
They are no longer children, and they are not adults either. They are at the crossroads of leaving childhood behind and moving into to adulthood with all of its responsibilities and complications. This developmental period in a child's life is full of change. While many teens may physically appear to look like young men and young women, emotionally they may not be as mature as they appear to be. When a teen feels the responsibility for assuming a caregiver's role in the family they deny themselves their own permission to grieve.