Adolescence is a complex stagefull of physical, psychological and social changes. It is a delicate vital period in which A teenager's parents are decisive when it comes to guiding and supporting him to overcome the problems that may arise.
In addition, at the end of the period of childhood and the beginning of puberty, Self-esteem plays a decisive role. This It is not usually high in adolescents because they are very critical of their physical appearance and personality, so feeling supported is essential.
Self-esteem in adolescence
Self-esteem is key to good development of adolescentstherefore, is closely related to academic success and social skills. It also determines the quality of life in adulthood.
As we all know, adolescence is a complex stage, full of changes and challenges to face.
Teenagers feel the need to be attractive for the rest, in order to be accepted. They constantly require the external validationwhich affects their self-esteem and the concept they have of themselves.
How to know if my teenager has low self-esteem
Depending on the level of self-esteem that a teenager has, there are several aspects of your life that may be affected: school, emotional and even family. Therefore, it is essential to identify if your son or daughter suffers from self-esteem problems, in this way, if so, you can become a great support for them.
But how do you know if you have self-esteem problems? teenagers with low self-esteem They have a series of characteristics common:
- Lack of confidence in themselves and their abilities. It is important to help your child regain self-confidence. This will have a direct effect on his self-esteem and will help him cope with the various obstacles that may arise throughout his life.
- They consider themselves inferior to others. They do not feel valued and believe that others are superior to them, so they avoid group relationships and isolate themselves.
- They are insecure people. Their insecurity causes them to sabotage themselves and become their own worst enemy. The fear of failure and not being enough paralyzes them and prevents them from moving forward.
- Lack of commitment. Lack of self-esteem has a direct effect on adolescents' sense of responsibility.
- Tendency to be negative. In general, they tend to remember and focus on negative aspects and comments: an insult or a criticism, instead of a compliment or positive information.
- They are self-demanding people. Although it may seem contradictory, people with low self-esteem tend to be very demanding of themselves and try to do “everything right.” This makes them feel constantly dissatisfied because they are not able to meet their level of demand.
- They always try to please to others. As we have already mentioned, teenagers feel the need to be accepted by others, which leads them to not know how to say a resounding no for fear of being rejected.
- Constant indecision. They feel a constant fear of making mistakes, which leads them to be very indecisive.
How to prevent self-esteem problems in adolescence
You must be clear that if you put into practice a series of techniques and tips, you can become your child's greatest support and help him improve his self-esteem little by little.
Your home should be a safe place
Lack of self-esteem can make teenagers feel insecure at school and around people, so they should perceive their home as a safe space.
It is essential that feels your home like a place of trust where you can open up and not feel judged.
Good communication
It is necessary that the Communication at home is fluid, sincere and natural. The teenager must feel listened to and have enough confidence to open up and share their concerns without feeling judged.
Constructive criticism
We all make mistakes, so if your child makes a mistake and you need to reprimand him for his behavior, always do so from a constructive point of view.
The teenager needs to know what you have done wrong and how you can improvereceiving unfounded negative reproaches will be counterproductive.
Set limits
Setting a series of rules at home is essential to fostering a sense of responsibility of the teenager and gradually increase their self-esteem.
Take their opinion into account
Taking your opinion into account in decisions regarding the home will make you feel like you're part of something and he will feel that you take him into account, which will increase his self-esteem.
Support their interests
If a teenager feels that his parents support him in those activities that he likes, he will feel safer and happier when carrying out these activities and their self-esteem will improve.
Take time for it
Spending quality time with your children is essential for foster unity and improve family coexistencewhich will increase the teenager's self-esteem.
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What can I do to improve your self-esteem?
- It's important that you don't compare it. Teenagers tend to be very critical of their abilities and this directly affects their self-esteem, so it is essential that you do not compare your child with other young people of their age because they will feel very pressured and it will make them compare themselves even more with others.
- Help him find his hobbies. Doing activities that motivate you and make you happy can have very positive effects on your self-esteem.
- Help, don't question. If you think your child may have self-esteem issues, it is very important that you try to offer help, but do not turn your doubts and questions into an interrogation, because this will cause them to withdraw even more into themselves.
- Appreciate their achievements. Make him feel supported and valued, recognize his achievements, this way your child will value himself more and increase his self-esteem.
What you should not do
When helping your child improve their self-esteem, it is important to avoid a number of things:
Don't minimize what he feels
If your teenager confesses that he or she doesn't feel good about himself or herself, that he or she doesn't like his or her body, or that he or she is afraid to make friends, it's essential that you don't downplay what he or she is feeling. You should support him or her and make him or her feel understood.
Don't criticize
You should value what your child does and support him. If he does things wrong, you can criticize him, but don't forget that you should do it constructively.
Don't overprotect him
Many parents overprotect their children and prevent them from flying. Overprotection is never good because they become defenseless people, which leads to low self-esteem.