Children who are very confident throughout childhood often struggle to maintain that confidence as soon as they hit puberty. Adolescence is naturally a time of self-doubt, change, and uncertainty as teenagers try to find a new place in the world as their bodies and brains begin to start changing. During this period, self-esteem and teenagers often do not go hand in hand.
One of the most difficult things to do as a parent, is to make sure that your child still maintains a sense of self-worth and self-esteem as they move through puberty. You want them to be as confident as possible, and that’s not always possible with the world that we have around us. But when it comes to self-esteem and teenagers, maybe you are at a loss as a parent as to how you can help build their sense of self-worth.
Many teenagers become excited and fixated over musicians, artists, movie franchises. They learn what fanfiction is and how to articulate themselves in journal form as they move through all the feelings and emotions that the changing hormones can bring them. When it comes to helping your teenager to build their self-worth, it means as a parent you have to support them in their goals, even if their goal is just to see their favorite band on the stage!
They might not know what a YouTube to mp3 converter is, but you can teach them. They might not know how to burn a CD and go old school, but you can teach them that, too. Teenagers are often stubborn so they won’t ask for help if they need it, but a big part of the plan to build self-worth is to make sure that you are there for them whether they are asking you for help or not. Learn cues so that they feel they can come to you with anything. Here are some of the things that you can do to help your teenager to feel more self-esteem.
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Here to share some tips on the topic of self-esteem and teenagers and how you can help them development a sense of self-worth.
Encourage self-involvement
Some of the older generation may say that teenagers today are selfish, but they’re not. Teenagers who struggle to master a skill might think that they are a complete failure and this is based on their inability to master it the first time. If you can instill healthy self involvement in your children, your teenager will understand that improvement comes from making mistakes. The more mistakes they make, the more they can learn from them. Help them to identify their strengths as well as their weaknesses and work with them to set some goals in problem-solving so they can work towards their strengths.
Offer praise
Teenagers all want to feel seen. If you praise the effort instead of the outcome, then they’ll put more emphasis on effort to do things rather than getting the end result right. Teenagers need to see that it’s important to try hard and it’s okay if they can’t succeed all the time. They can’t always control the outcomes but they can control the amount of effort that they put into something. As a parent, you’re going to build their self-worth simply by being able to support that.
Tell them they are amazing
This one may sound obvious, but we don’t compliment each other enough. In a world of social media perfectionism and AI generated beauty, we need to hear more than ever that we are special and we are enough. Teens are no different. A meaningful piece of jeweller like a girls bracelet with a special charm, or an inscribed pendant such as ‘one in a million’, not only make a beautiful gift for a teen, but will serve as a daily self esteem boost.
Teach your teenager to be assertive
It is perfectly fine for your teenager to say no to things. It’s fine for them to speak up for themselves in an appropriate and polite manner. This will help them into adulthood and will help them to understand that it’s not a bad thing to ask for help. A teenager who can speak up and is less likely to be mistreated by their peers. They will speak up for themselves if they don’t like how things have been done or how they are being treated. They will be able to ask for things in a more direct manner when they need help from other people. Let them make their own choices and reinforce the fact that they have rights – you will raise a much happier and healthier teenager this way.
Encourage as many new opportunities as possible
Teenagers often need that little nudge to tell them that they are worthy of doing something before they can truly feel worth it. If they know that you have complete belief and faith in their abilities, your teenager is going to be more likely to be happy to try new activities and discover hidden talents. If you can encourage and challenge your teenager to do more and be more, they will grow their confidence. Teenagers are often afraid of failure, and they also are afraid of embarrassment. In the world of social media where everything is documented, teenagers are often shy and holding back on what they know they can do in fear of what other people say. Be their conscience, tell them they are worthy of doing something and trying something and cheer them on regardless of the outcome.
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