Why Teenagers Need Self Esteem

Why Teenagers Need Self Esteem

Today, parents face a big challenge in raising confident and healthy children. Teenagers go through a challenging time in their adolescent years, wherein they face self-doubt and struggle with low self-esteem. Peer pressure is very high amongst teenagers and most of them look for acceptability from their friends. When they are not accepted, then there struggle with low self-esteem and low self-confidence. In this article, we talk about why Why Teenagers Need Self- Esteem.

Parents play an important role in building the self-esteem of young teenagers. Teenagers need a lot of confidence boosting from their parents and close family members. It is important for parents to compliment their children on their achievements and reassure them from time to time to give their best, while keeping the communication channels open. In times of need and stress, children should be able to relate to parents by coming first to them for any advice.

Why Teenagers Need Self-Esteem

Today, we will discuss some self-esteem tips  for children.

1.Try and be generous with your praise.

Many a time parents fail in praising their children. We find extreme cases wherein some parents are forever praising their children, which is not good as it does not look credible. In other cases, parents are reluctant to offer praise to their children, thinking that their children will take advantage of the situation.

It is important to praise children for their achievements and success. Tell them that you are proud of their achievements and encourage them to do better.

2. Avoid harsh criticism but give constructive criticism.

There will be times when your teenager will commit mistakes and in such times it is important to refrain from any hurtful or demeaning comments. Demeaning comments will erode the self-confidence and self-esteem of children. 

Talk to your child and communicate to them as to what went wrong. Tell them the consequences of these mistakes and how the same would impact their future. Constructive criticism and feedback will help the child understand the implications of their decisions.

3. Help them to make wise decisions and listen to their opinions.

It is important to encourage children to make decisions in their day to day life. Ask their opinion and suggestions on different family matters like for e.g., choosing a family vacation destination, choosing a gift for a family member, choosing the paint for the house or choosing a restaurant for dinner etc. You need not accept their suggestions always but you can definitely consider their opinions. This will help in enhancing the self-esteem of children.

Teenagers love to be treated like adults and their confidence is boosted when their opinions or suggestions are asked for. Tell them the reason why their opinions are accepted or not accepted.

4. Treat children like adults and show them respect.

Parents always consider their children to be children. It is time you see them as grown-up adults and respect them. It may be difficult in the beginning but start talking to them with love and respect. Ensure that your tone is right and not filled with contempt while talking to them.

Keep the communications channels open. Try and understand their fears, anxieties and worries. Do not ignore them. Hear them out and share your experiences. This will help them understand that you also went through the same challenges in your growing up years. It will help to boost their confidence.

5. Teach your teenager to be strong and positive.

Early in life, your children should be taught to stand up for good values, even if they are alone. Share with them real life stories and experiences, that will build up their confidence. They should not get easily affected by teasing, bullying, harsh negative comments and lose their cool. Teach them to ignore and not get offended easily.

6. Some additional self-esteem tips for children.

Some additional tips to boost the self-esteem of children are listed below :

  • Encourage your teenager to have a good posture, which will help them to boost their self-esteem and confidence. For e.g. standing tall.
  • Make good eye contact while talking to people.
  • Ask them to smile often, as it helps in bringing positivity in their life.
  • Tell them that their efforts are more important than their perfection. It is perfectly fine to make mistakes and learn from them.
  • Do not be insecure by focusing on mistakes and wrong things. Take it easy.
  • Learn to spend time on doing things that they enjoy and love doing. Good hobbies and talents should be encouraged.
  • Encourage children to be confident and teach them to walk away from wrong things like drugs, alcohol, sex etc. Avoid falling for peer pressure. Self-control is an important aspect of building self-esteem.
  • Teach children to strengthen their advantages and work on their weaknesses. Try and view mistakes as learning opportunities. Give teenagers self-esteem worksheets which will help them to understand their issues.
  • Encourage them to pray and seek God first. In our case, I encourage my children to read Bible verses, which are inspiring and helps them deal with their daily challenges and struggles.
  • Teach your teenager their strengths and ask them to build on them. Everybody has some God given talents and strengths and it is important to build these talents and abilities.
  • Take calculated risks and try and do new things.
  • Recognize what you can change and what you cannot. It is important to recognize what you can change for e.g. if you have a weight issue then you can control your diet and bring it under control, but if you a height issue i.e., you are short, then accept it and wear dresses or outfits that will enhance your look. Do not dwell on negative things. You cannot lead a positive life with a negative mind.
  • Teach them that looks do not matter. Teenagers are greatly influenced by celebrities and models. They try to imitate them and follow them blindly. It important to raise your child, wherein you teach them to see beyond looks. In their childhood years show them the graciousness of people who do not look so good but are kind, successful, generous and happy. Tell them that it is important to have good manners, eat healthily, exercise regularly and stay positive.

These are some tips that can help build self-esteem in children. Finally, parenting is a journey and we all learn in this journey. Your child is unique and so you will have to adopt the best approach that will suit you and your child.

Hope you have enjoyed reading this article on Why Teenagers Need Self Esteem. For more similar articles please like and subscribe to our Newsletter and Youtube Channel.

Please, read our other article like How to Develop a Positive Attitude.

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1 Comment
  1. Nathalie Burnett 4 years ago

    I was just talking to my niece about feeling like an outsider and coping. She gets really sad if she feels like she’s been rejected.

    What we found out was that she didn’t realize how amazing she was. We’ve had several discussions about self-belief and what it means to be true to your heart, and why you don’t have to try to be amazing because you already are.

    I got my ideas from a video about confidence with teens at: https://preparemykid.com

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