SolveYourProblem eLearning Series: Self Confidence
How Do I Improve My Self Confidence?

Teen Self Confidence
   

It's tough being a teenager. You're faced with an ever-changing body, peer pressure and the perils of the opposite sex. How in the world is a person supposed to feel confident? As a parent, it can be difficult to watch your child go through the struggles of adolescence. While you can't always protect your teen, staying involved and keeping a few points in mind can help you both make it to graduation unscathed.

Teenagers who do well in school tend to feel more confident. Keep on top of your teen's homework. Set aside a time and place for completing assignments every night. If your teen has difficulties or needs help working to her potential, look into tutoring programs or learning centers. She may fight it, but she'll appreciate the boost in the long run.

Being involved in extracurricular activities is a surefire way to build self-confidence. While specific possibilities vary from school to school, there's a little something for everyone. The musically-inclined will want to try out marching band or choir while your family's Trivial Pursuit champion may want to join the quiz bowl team. Clubs and teams give teens an instant peer group, allow them to experience the satisfaction of working with others towards a goal, and often help them develop leadership skills. Every aspect of the experience lends itself to increased confidence.

If your teen isn't interested in any of the clubs or sports offered at school, look for activities in the community. Weekly dance classes, riding lessons or martial arts training will help your teen gain confidence as he learns perseverance, dedication and hard work, skills that will stay with him long after the specifics of technique are lost.

Volunteering is another extracurricular option. Some high school clubs, such as National Honor Society and Key Club, focus on community service, but it's also possible to approach an organization like the humane society or a senior center and ask if they need any help. Encourage your teen to find an organization or cause she is truly interested in, but don't force it. Compulsory volunteering is no longer truly volunteering. It becomes a chore and many of the "feel good" benefits can be diminished.

Relationships are key to self-confidence during the teen years. While we often think of romantic relationships as causing the most difficulty, relationships with friends can be just as perilous. Make sure that your teen is developing positive friendships. Ask to meet his friends and his friends' parents. If you feel that your teen is heading in the wrong direction, steer him towards more positive activities and acquaintances. Make sure that your teen is choosing friends for the right reasons - because they enjoy each other's company or have shared interests, not because someone is "cool" or "popular."

Popularity is the magic word during the teen years. Not feeling popular can make even the most secure teens start to doubt themselves. If you feel like your teen is having trouble fitting in, have an honest talk with her about how she views herself and what she wants out of friends, school and life. Emphasize all of her great qualities and let her know that she doesn't have to be the homecoming queen to be an amazing person. If your child seems to be having trouble making friends, help her become involved in a new activity that will introduce her to other young people.

As much as teens wouldn't want to admit it, family relationships are also important to their lives. Strong parental relationships are key to helping teens weather the peer pressure, stress and other problems of adolescence. Teens are notorious for not wanting to tell their parents anything. If you ask how school was today, you'll get a shrug and a mumbled answer. It's easy to give up in the face of this reticence, but do everything you can to keep the lines of communication open. Teens can feel confident in even the most difficult decisions if they know they will find support at home.

Just because the teen years have hit, all is not lost. With a solid foundation at home and a bit of parental encouragement teenagers can make the most of this exciting yet trying time with their confidence intact.

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by SolveYourProblem.com : 2006

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