SELF-ESTEEM IS MORE THAN BODY IMAGE
Teenage problems can be much bigger issues than we as parents might think. In fact struggling teens can display many different signs of low self esteem that we simply overlook because we don’t recognize them. With this in mind, it’s important to understand some simple signs to look for in your teenagers when it comes to depression, low self esteem and an overall unhappy persona.
Defensiveness
When your struggling teen tends to get jumpy and defensive during regular conversations, they may be feeling like they need to defend themselves due to a lack of self esteem and confidence. Asking your teen for their opinions and making a point to respect their views when talking to them can help with this issue.
Irritability
Most teenagers display some signs of irritability and rebellion while growing up but then the mood swings become intolerable or start showing up more often than not, it’s time to take a step back and determine why this could be happening.
Less of a Social Life
Teenage problems that include the loss of friends or an abundant social life this can greatly affect their self esteem. If you child doesn’t talk on the phone as much as they used to or hang out with friends as much on the weekends anymore, there is nothing wrong with digging a little deeper to determine what the problems might be here.
Locking Themselves in a Room
If your teenager doesn’t spend time outside of their room and refuses to include themselves in family functions, there is a good chance that they are dealing with confidence and self esteem issues that need to be addressed.
How to Help Struggling Teens
There are a number of ways that you can incorporate some help for the teenage problems your child might be dealing with. The first step is to simply talk to them about it. You might be surprised at how much you learn from a conversation about this. It’s important not to push them or to be judgmental because this can push your child further away. Instead just leave a door wide open and let them walk through in their own pace.
Professional Help
Getting professional help for teenage problems is a great way to handle the struggles that your teen might be dealing with. You can implement family counseling or simply find someone for your teen to talk to alone. This allows them to feel comfortable talking to someone who isn’t biased about their situation and who they can trust not to judge them or become disappointed in them due to their feelings.
Opportunity comes
Giving your struggling teen an opportunity to choose how they want to handle their problems can also work well. Of course, if they don’t want to do anything about it then you should do what you think is best as a parent. If this means forcing them to attend at least a couple of meetings with a counselor, so be it. Don’t let self esteem become a major factor in the way your child spends their teenage lives.
