Self-confidence can directly impact self-esteem, academic success, healthy relationships, and mental wellness in adolescents. Relationship counseling and parental support are two factors that can help increase self-confidence in teens.
Imagine Boise helps teenagers achieve mental wellness. If your teen struggles with self-confidence or other concerns negatively impacting their quality of life, call 888.597.2807 to learn how the programs at Imagine Boise can help.
How to Help Your Teen Gain Confidence
When a teen struggles with self-confidence, the underlying problem is usually related to their beliefs about themselves. Changing a teen’s inner narrative goes a long way toward fostering a strong sense of teen self-confidence.
Parents who take the time to learn tips for building teen self-confidence can help increase the effectiveness of a treatment program by offering ongoing support at home.
1. Try Not to Criticize
Even when they won’t admit it, most teenagers crave the approval of their parents. If you think what you have to say might come across as critical, ask if your teen is open to hearing your input before saying what’s on your mind.
2. Lower the Pressure
It can be easy to forget that valid parental concerns can put a lot of pressure on a teenager to get everything right and can lead to feelings of failure when they don’t succeed. Parents might not even realize teens can feel pressure when they hear comments about:
- Grades
- Extracurriculars
- Friends
- Physical appearance
- Style of clothing
- Tastes in music
- Diet and eating habits
Be mindful that teens are under a lot of pressure at home and school, and consider whether comments lighten the load or add to it.
3. Get Vulnerable
Normalize talking about insecurities. Teenagers don’t always realize that parents understand their struggles. Sharing about the positive and negative parts of your day helps a teen understand that embarrassments and failure are a normal part of life and happen to everyone.
4. Be Generous with Praise
Praise goes a long way toward building self-confidence, especially when it’s genuine and consistent. Make it a habit of looking for positives and sharing them aloud. Praising a teen can help counter self-judgments by teaching them to notice and appreciate successes.
5. Try New Things
Self-confidence is the result of learning that you have the ability to handle challenges. Trying out new activities with a teen is a great way to model that no one does things perfectly at first, and it’s possible to have fun even when failing at something.
6. Support Independence
Supporting a teen’s friendships and desire for independence can help build self-confidence and set them up to make intelligent choices in adulthood. Work with your teen to set healthy boundaries that work for you both, and try to support your teen’s natural desire for independence.
7. Ask for Help
A professional treatment program can offer the support needed to reframe a teen’s thoughts and feelings when a lack of confidence has a negative impact on their life.
Providing Your Teen with the Help They Need
Teens don’t usually possess the perspective or awareness to realize they need professional help. It’s up to a teen’s parents to recognize when their teen would benefit from counseling.
Improve Teen Self-Confidence at Imagine Boise
If you’re a parent trying to figure out how to help your teen gain confidence, you’re not alone. Self-confidence in teens is a genuine concern for many parents, and it’s difficult to watch teenagers struggle because they don’t believe in their abilities.
The mental health professionals at Imagine Boise can help you understand the factors that have led to low self-confidence in your teen and create a plan for helping them build a healthier sense of self.
Call 888.597.2807 today or contact us online to learn more about how we help teens build self-confidence at Imagine Boise.