Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Building Your Teens Self Esteem and Confidence


You have been there and now your child is getting into the teenage years as well. This time, it is not you who are on the line but your child. Are you ready to guide her through these crucial years? 
 
Teenage can be defined as the most confusing years of a person’s life and that is putting it lightly. There are many changes that can happen to your child physically, mentally and socially. In these years, your child is very fragile and you need to build her self-esteem and confidence. She needs to believe in herself and her potential to overcome challenges both academically and life in general. Otherwise, she will develop a pessimistic view of the world and will become an introvert as well as lose enthusiasm over school and other things she previously enjoys.

The key in your child’s growing up is you. So to help her enjoy her teenage years rather than spending it hiding herself and being afraid of not being accepted by her peers or what might other people think of her, here are some tips that can help you make her feel secure and loved.

Listen

Listen closely and really hard to what she is about to say. Every kid has different teen experiences. When she is upset, do not tell them what to do. Instead, ask her why she is upset. The key here is to let her know you care enough to take time to understand what is bothering her. 
 
Always Have the Time to Talk 
 
Make it a habit to talk to her on regular basis. This will encourage her to share her difficulties about school and peer pressure. You can also improve her self confidence by giving her knowledge about serious issues such as drugs, unprotected sex and other dangerous behaviours. Allow them to ask questions. This will empower your teen to handle difficult situations.

Encourage Your Teen to Try New Things

If your teen expresses interests in painting, learning a new language or joining a ballet class or the soccer team at school, support her. Imagine yourself gaining a new technique; your teen will also feel the same. Learning and excelling in new things can help improve her self confidence and how good she feels about herself.

Do Not Do Too Much

Teenage years are important for your teen to handle life herself. Do not try to be her rescuer and solve her problems yourself. This will not help her. Also, when she made a mistake tell her it is alright and let her know how to fix it. If she has to make a decision, tell her what she wants to do and show her the consequences of her choices so she can choose wisely. She is smart and she can come up with a good decision. Just be there and lend her some support.

The best thing about living in a modern era is you can find professional help when it comes to helping your child build self esteem and self confidence. There are many companies today that provide child therapy and workshops that increase your teen’s confidence, overcome their anxiety and improve their communication skills. They even have professional and expert child therapist to help your child. With your support coupled with one on one coaching, you can help your teen become smart and confident.