This guest post is contributed by Kitty Holman, who writes on the topics for nursing colleges. She welcomes your comments at her email: kitty.holman20@gmail.com.
Having healthy self-esteem allows teenagers to pursue their
studies, hobbies, and career aspirations with confidence. It's no surprise that
strong self-esteem is negatively correlated to depression and anxiety, the Counseling and Mental
Health Center of the University of Texas states. Luckily, parents can
easily protect their teens against the negative effects of low self-esteem. It's as basic as showing respect, demonstrating
your love and trust, and regularly praising them.
The type of praise given is important as well. Praise should
center around your teen's hard work, according to Carol Dweck, and not around their innate talents or intelligence. Praise
for intelligence can drive your teen to play it safe and only accomplish things
that make them appear smart whereas praise for hard work encourages the mindset
that effort equals success.
A helpful tactic: Parents can remind teens of their past
accomplishments when the teens are feeling low on confidence.
Though teens may not outright ask for it, (they are more
likely to ask for a car or a higher allowance) simple praise can go a long way
to make them feel valued and happy.
