I’m wondering how to be helpful to teens and kids with the model. There’s a big age gap in my family, and I have a 12 year old sister and 16 year old brother. I want to be supportive and loving to them, and I’d like to help them as they start to become more aware of their own thinking and emotions.

I’m also concerned over my younger brother because he is very depressed. In addition to normal teen stuff, there’s some dysfunctional dynamics at home he’s dealing with, and he had a traumatic brain injury a year ago that impacted his personality and seems to have triggered the depression.

My mom is doing the brain health piece working with doctors, etc. But I have a special relationship with this brother, and I want to help him.

I’m wondering how to be supportive and guide him as a big sister while still respecting the fact that he’s transitioning into an adult.