Teens and Self Esteem | Foundations

Help Build a Positive Self-Concept in Your Teen or Adolescent

Having a positive self-image is a major key to success throughout life. That's something we all know, but, we also know that it's generally easier said than done.

“I'm pretty awesome!” isn't generally a mindset we're able to fully embrace 100% of the time. It's normal for our self-esteem to ebb and flow. As adults, we're used to these alternating feelings of positivity and negativity, and we can roll with the punches, typically bouncing back unscathed.

It's a different story for children, though, especially for adolescents and teenagers.

Self-esteem in teenagers and adolescents

For this demographic, self-esteem is a particularly delicate and loaded subject.

Young people are often dealing with issues of deflated self-worth and self-image, and these feelings can be quite long-lasting and devastating to their psyche . Add in hormonal swings that are par for the course at these ages, and helping your child feel good about themselves can seem like a losing battle.

What does a positive self-concept and healthy self-esteem look like for a teenager?

If you're concerned about your child's self-esteem, there are some behaviors that you can look out for. A child or teen with high self-esteem will be able to :

• Act independently
• Assume responsibility for his or her actions
• Take pride in their accomplishments
• Tolerate the frustrations of life
• Attempt new tasks and challenges without paralyzing fear
• Handle positive and negative emotions as they manifest
• Offer assistance to others

On the other hand, a child with low self-esteem will:

• Avoid trying new things out of fear of failure
• Feel unloved and unwanted
• Blame others for their own shortcomings, failing to accept personal responsibility
• Feel, or pretend to feel, emotionally indifferent
• Be unable to tolerate a normal level of frustration
• Engage in negative self-talk about their own talents and abilities
• Be easily influenced by outside influences

Self-esteem counseling and therapy for teenagers and adolescents

As a parent, you're keenly aware of your responsibility to help your teen develop a healthy self-image that will set them up for success throughout their life. Sometimes, you need a little extra help getting through to them, though.

If you think your child needs some additional support around self-esteem issues, please give Foundations Counseling a call and set up a free consultation .