How do you keep a straight face when a teen rants and raves over something ridiculous?

My nieces and nephews are normally rational people. But there must be something in the water these days because everything is a mortal injustice. Crying, ranting, life is not fair, everyone is out to get me... you know the drill.





So how do you keep a straight face when listening to all this? Often the kids call/see me for advice or as a sounding board, but lately it's been a bit melodramatic.How do you keep a straight face when a teen rants and raves over something ridiculous?
I have 3 girls, so i know how this is...without my son and my husband the house would be a hormone house. It's almost scary. I just think of all the times when i was that age that i made a huge deal out of the little things and then try to find sympathy for them and realize that is just how teenagers are.





My son hardly ever makes a big deal out of anything, nothing phases. Sometimes it's so bad i get worried that he doesn't care at all. My two younger daughters on the other hand, i get about a 3 hour ear full of the drama after school each day.How do you keep a straight face when a teen rants and raves over something ridiculous?
Like desmeran says, just remember how it felt when you were a teenager. Everything was either life or death.





I know. It's hard to not laugh at teen dramatics sometimes. Especially when it's the end of the world because of a zit :)





-Edit-


I hate to admit it, but I *have* laughed at some dramatics of teens. It might frustrate them, but then they learn that sometimes life contains bigger *adult* problems than ';Johnny doesn't like me, he likes Suzy';.





But I know when it's ok to chuckle and when to keep a straight face, as I'm sure you do as well.
It's pretty easy.





If you understand that the brains of teens are going through a specific developmental phase, and that this behavior is normal, it's nothing to laugh at. It would be the same as laughing at anyone else going through a normal developmental phase.





Failing that, remember that you, too, were once a teen. Didn't you want to be taken seriously?





All the best.
Consider this to be a learning experience for you as it is for your nieces and nephews. You're learning empathy while they're learning how to decipher 911 from the silly drama. You're being tested. They're being tested. It's good practice, don't you agree?


Been there.


You'll do fine. Hang in there.
well, you remember that you are an adult, you have been there before. Their issues may seem trivial to you now, but I am sure you were upset about equally uminportant things back when you were their age. Just listen, and give them the best advice you can.
I know what you mean.





My niece and nephew are in their preteens now. Everything they worry about seems so trivial.





So what I do is I try to steer the conversation in a more positive direction, granted I am not always successful but it at least lessens the whinning :)
Why not be a sounding board? They're nearly adults, they should know when they're whining. It's part of growing up. It's not bad for you to say (in a polite, caring way) that they're being ridiculous, as long as you're not an *** about it.
From what you are saying it appears that they value your opinion. Give good and sound advise because to them their questions are serious enough to get guidance from you.





Counter the melodrama with rational advice.
how about summoning up memories of all the times you said something equally ridiculous in your teen years? speaking for myself, that would be enough to make me wince and lose the humor.








(not that adults don't often do the same thing)
if your laughing AT THEM like you wanna keep a straight face so you dont offend them... i say think of something gross or sad like walking in on my grandma in the tub or having a flashback to my grandpas funeral... u know... something like that...
try to put ur self in their place and think about ur ridiculous q's when u were a kid. When they are a teen they need ur support so try hard not to laugh because it only makes it worse.
Dont you remember when everything was so unfair to you as a teen? It's the hormones
I just laugh! I make a sarcastic remark or joke, then we can laugh together.
Don't! Just stand there and laugh your a__ off! It'l make an honest person out of ya!
put a ninja mask on.
I have a very hard time. My daughter is only eleven, but she, too, has been very melodramatic lately. I try my hardest to keep a straight face, but there are times a giggle escapes. It just makes her madder. I'd like to learn a technique that would keep me on her good side when she is being a little irrational.





Just a few days ago, she was mad because she couldn't find her sneakers. It most assuredly was my fault because I did not want her to get to school on time. Everybody else has extra shoes. Everybody else has mother's who make sure their shoes are lined up under their bed. Maybe someone came in and hid her shoes. Why didn't I lock up better when I went to bed. At this point, she came across my worn out, working in the yard shoes and insisted on putting them on. A year ago, this wouldn't have been an issue. However, in the last three months she's grown an inch and a half in height and how wears shoes two sizes larger than mine.





When she leveled her finger and me and growled, ';There is something wrong with you. Your feet are too small!';, I burst into laughter. As she got angrier and angrier, I told her I'd go drive around the block and let her pull herself together. She jumped into the car as soon as I pulled into the driveway and did not say a word to me all the way to school.
If you find their distress amusing you are an unfit to be an uncle and should try and limit your contact with them. Try and put them in touch with a more helpful adult.