How to Build Self-Esteem in Teens in 2024

During the teenage years, people develop most of their cognitive skills and personality traits that will determine their quality of life. This era is essential for creating healthy habits and acquiring new skills. Thus, you must pay special attention to your teenagers to ensure the best possible outcome.

From 13 to 19, the human brain undergoes significant changes, and a person forms their identity and personality. If you want your child to be successful, confident, and happy with themself, help them build self-esteem.

This guide covers the essential tips for building self-esteem during teenage years to help your youngster feel excellent in their skin.

Low self-esteem has become a major social issue, with many people becoming introverts and developing anxiety disorders due to their poor self-image. Thus, building self-esteem is essential for creating and maintaining a healthy mental state and having a realistic picture of your physical and mental capabilities.

Moreover, poor self-esteem may lead to secrecy, resulting in weak relationships with others. When one doesn’t feel confident in their skin, they may project their feelings onto others, leading to unsupportive relationships and distrust. High self-esteem is the base of solid relationships and friendships.

Everyone wants to become their best version, but that may not be possible if they have a barrier between themselves and their goals. Low-self esteem may lead to a feeling of helplessness, causing one to feel unmotivated to reach their goals. Building self-esteem can pave the way to success.

Thus, if you want your child to be happy in their skin, establish meaningful relationships, and work toward achieving their goals, you should learn how to build their self-esteem.

If you want to boost your child’s confidence, you can check out some of the tips we have prepared. However, you should know that not all teens are the same and that some strategies may be better for your child’s personality and preferences. Try the tips below and choose the one (or more) that creates the best results.

Making an effort to do something is half the job. Instead of praising your children when they do something well, you should praise them for the effort and time they have directed toward a specific task. For example, if you ask them to do the dishes, you should tell them they did an excellent job and thank them for taking the time to help you.

That will develop a growth mindset in your teens; they won’t be afraid to try anything, even if the results aren’t the best. Moreover, your teens will seek internal validation, contributing to their self-esteem.

If a teen has unconditional love, they will develop a positive self-image and know they shouldn’t be too strict toward themselves. Moreover, they will develop healthy coping habits, leading to trustworthy, strong relationships. Your child will understand that making mistakes isn’t the worst thing in the world and that you’ll still love them afterward, contributing to a positive self-image.

With the help of unconditional love, your teen will develop a growth mindset, leading to better career-wise performance. They will know that they can achieve anything they set their mind to and won’t be afraid to make and learn from mistakes, which is a vital virtue.

During the teenage era, children need support and communication. Thus, you should encourage open communication and make your child feel safe and confident around you. Once you learn how to communicate with your teen, you should foster self-reflection and tell your teen that your communication is a judgment-free zone.

Teach them to prioritize their physical and mental health above anything else, and to focus on developing new skills. Moreover, don’t judge their mistakes; give positive feedback and propose suggestions they can accept or decline. Don’t tell your children, “No, that’s not right.” Instead, tell them that it’s a good guess and that there might be different solutions to the problem.

Every person will fail at something during their lifetime. Even the most renowned entrepreneurs have failed some seemingly essential tasks. Since failure is a part of life, we shouldn’t create a negative mindset toward it since that will only develop low self-esteem and cause further discouragement.

Instead, when your child experiences failure, tell them it’s normal and isn’t a sign of anything negative. For instance, if your teen fails the math class, it’s not the end of the world, so encourage them to move forward and reach their goals instead of stopping at the first obstacle.

Building assertive traits in your teens is essential for high self-esteem. Your child should learn to express their needs and wants and disagree with others. If you have noticed that your child prefers to nod their head and agree with everything you say, you should encourage free thinking and assertive traits.

Ask them how they are genuinely feeling and if there’s something they want to tell you. Ask them about their opinion and accept whatever they say respectfully. Your teen will learn to speak their mind and set boundaries, leading to better self-esteem. Moreover, they will learn to make independent decisions, boosting their confidence.

You will always be a role model for your children. Even if you tell them to do something differently, they will acquire your traits and act the same throughout their life. Therefore, to teach your children self-esteem, you should work on yourself and present an excellent example.

Forget your past experiences; act how you want your teen to behave when they grow up. Before having that heart-to-heart talk with your child, have the same talk with yourself. Be true to yourself, detect your weaknesses, and build your self-esteem so your child can rely on you as their idol and pick up all the positive traits from such a brilliant person.

Every teen wants to have their freedom, talk to their friends, go out, etc. However, since the teenage era is sensitive and they can pick up numerous traits from their surroundings, you should learn to “control” your child’s behavior from a distance and detect possible harmful behavior.

For example, if your teen owns a phone, you can use a parental control app like Wondershare FamiSafe to track their online activity. Since online content may not suit everyone, you can control what your teen views, thus building their self-esteem. That will improve mental health and confidence while protecting your teen from harmful content.

Many people have low self-esteem moments, especially after some failures. If your child feels down, you should boost their self-esteem by reassuring and reminding them of their capabilities. For example, if they didn’t win a place in a competition, praise them for their effort and tell them they were excellent.

Although having low moments is okay, you should always support your teen. You will teach them self-esteem and boost their confidence during such vulnerable moments. They will remember your words the next time they reach this low point and instantly feel better.

Your teenager should also rely on internal reassurance rather than just the external one. Self-confidence lies within you, so encourage positive self-talk to teach your child self-love, support, and true self-esteem. For instance, you can both stand in front of the mirror and tell yourselves how beautiful and capable you are.

Your youngster will then develop a habit of positive self-talk, leading to a better self-image. They will be able to recognize their abilities, vulnerabilities, and flaws and know that all of them make them human.

If your child shows interest in something, you should always support their hobbies and interests as much as possible. For example, if your teen asks you for a knitting set, provide it and compliment every new piece they make. That will tell them that there’s nothing they can’t do.

Moreover, your child will develop advanced skills and learn what is good for them. Then, they can make better decisions and rely on their confidence for other interests. It will also awaken the adventurous spirit in your child and encourage them to try something new.

Your teenagers are in their most vulnerable and sensitive era, so be kind to them and prepare them for the world. Confidence plays a significant part in starting and building relationships and navigating the environment.

Follow the tips above to introduce a positive self-image for your teenagers and boost their self-esteem. Remember that every child is different, so find a method that best fits your relationship.