Children and teens need healthy self-esteem to encourage positive mental development and contribute to daily success. People with high self-esteem will feel more comfortable talking to people and going after things in life. Here are some tips on building teens’ self-esteem.
1. Get Creative
Allow your child to express themselves in a healthy and productive way by encouraging them in their creative pursuits. Playing instruments, painting, writing, dancing, and even comedy are great ways to release emotion while also developing a skill. Creative hobbies also help the developing mind during critical stages of growth.
2. Give Compliments
Build your child’s self-esteem by paying them compliments from time to time. If your child did well in school, it’s important to praise them a little bit. They will feel good about themselves and continue to work for more compliments. You can also compliment your child’s personality and features to give them a broad range of things to be confident about.
3. Let Them Make Mistakes
Everyone fails from time to time; it’s how an individual handles failure that shapes their future. Encourage your children not to be afraid or embarrassed about making mistakes.
4. Set Boundaries
While you want teens to explore and make mistakes, you also want to set certain boundaries and expectations. A teen will actually develop more confidence when they have clear rules. For example, if you set an expectation for A’s and B’s, your child may be motivated to work harder to meet those expectations. Once they meet those expectations, they will feel good about themselves.
5. Listen
Everyone wants to feel heard. If a person doesn’t feel heard, they may make the mistake of thinking they aren’t worth your attention. Take time out to hear your child when they want to talk about something. This will prove to them that their thoughts are important to you and everyone else. Self-esteem is a powerful tool that can help a teen turn into a successful and happy adult. Use these tips to help improve your teen’s self-esteem. If you can tell that your teen is still struggling with self-esteem issues, contact us to schedule a telehealth appointment.
Do you have more questions about your teen’s mental or physical health in Salem Oregon? Contact our staff at WFMC Health or become a new patient today!
