Helping Your Teen Grow Their Confidence: A Free Guide

Being a parent is one of the most fulfilling roles you will ever have. From holding your child for the first time to watching them fly the nest and head into adulthood, these experiences can not be matched.  While that is very well the case, being a parent does not come without its fair share of obstacles and hurdles. None more so than when your children are approaching their teenage years. A confusing time, we recognize it can be frustrating for you to know how best to help your child, particularly if they are struggling with their self-confidence.  Read on to find some helpful tips on supporting your child and helping them to grow and develop their confidence levels during these teen years with our free guide.

Be Emotionally Available

Having been a teenager once yourself, you know this process can be challenging at the best of times. Providing your child with a loving and stable home will go a long way, but there are other ways you can support your child emotionally.

Being around to talk to about their feelings when going through a rough time will enable your child to develop emotional intelligence; this includes addressing their thoughts and feelings and knowing how best to deal with them.

At the same time, it is your role as a parent to think of solutions, too, rather than leaving it entirely to your child. Find they are struggling with self-esteem issues that are having a knock-on effect on their confidence? Determine what the cause of the low morale is and work together to rectify it.

Suppose your child is unhappy with their smile due to crooked or misaligned teeth. Gather information on clear braces – of which are barely visible and cannot be seen by others – and talk your child through their options.

Make Room for Failure

Obstacles and setbacks, big and small, can have a significant knock–on anyone’s confidence. Being successful is something that is ingrained in our minds from a young age, and it can be crushing when we fall and fail.

Teenagers will be going through a multitude of obstacles. From tests in school to their social life, there is ample opportunity for them to make mistakes. How you react as a parent could further this feeling of failure, so tread with caution.

Approach the situation with understanding and reassurance; it is okay to make mistakes and to fail. Ensure your child knows that this is merely a bump in the road and that there is room for improvement moving forward. Providing a focus for your child will ensure they do not develop a fixed mindset and fixate on the failure.

Offer Understanding

Having your feelings validated at any age can go a long way in processing your emotions, which is never truer than when navigating the teenage world. If your child expresses any qualms about aspects of their lives or is struggling, make a conscious effort to validate their emotions.

Open up discourse and discuss how your child will not be the only person feeling the way they are. Calm and reassure them and offer a listening ear. It might not seem like you are doing much, but by giving your child a safe space to talk about their confidence issues, you are making more of a difference than you realize.