If you have a teenager at home, you’ll know the challenges that come with this stage of life. Adolescence is a confusing yet exciting time, often involving mixed feelings about identity, confidence and future plans.
Knowing how best to support your child can be tricky, especially if they’re experiencing a turbulent time with their emotions. But with a sensitive approach and practical strategies, you’ll be able to help them foster resilience during these formative years.
- Foster open communication
Firstly, try to encourage your teenager to express their feelings openly at this time. Creating a safe, non-judgemental environment will help them to navigate their emotions effectively.
To achieve this, you’ll need to truly listen and make sure that they feel heard.
Don’t pressure them to make one decision over another – and try not to criticise anything you don’t approve of. You should expect your teenager to make mistakes, but you’ll need to offer guidance afterwards, not punishment.
- Encourage independence
During adolescence, teenagers might show impulsive behaviour and make questionable choices. This formative stage of life usually involves an increase in independent decision making, which might manifest in rebellious actions.
Allowing them to explore and learn from their experiences will help to foster this all-important sense of autonomy and confidence. It’s your role to support, rather than direct, their problem-solving skills to help them adapt to future challenges.
Whether it’s navigating the city streets or using public transport independently, give your teenager the trust to work things out – but at the same time, be a safety net they can fall back on.
- Promote a healthy self-care routine
It’s not uncommon for teenagers to grapple with complex feelings relating to their appearance and body image. In one survey by the Mental Health Foundation, more than a third of young people aged between 13 and 19 said that they ‘often’ or ‘always’ worry about their body image.
As a parent, you can help to encourage healthy self-care without being overbearing. You could help a teenage daughter to choose makeup and cosmetic products, for example, to help her feel more confident.
If you go shopping together, you could browse expertly formulated skincare for teens, developed with younger skin in mind. High-quality ingredients and delicate fragrances contribute to a sense of well-being.
- Model healthy self-esteem
Finally, don’t forget to set a healthy example when it comes to self-esteem and confidence. If you demonstrate self-compassion and avoid criticising yourself, your teenage children will be more likely to adopt the same attitude.
Similarly, being outwardly critical in front of your teenagers could trigger their own feelings of self-doubt. It’s particularly important to model a healthy relationship with food, avoiding any emphasis on fad diets or weight loss.
Focus on genuinely healthy habits – and don’t get caught up in minor details. When it comes to their achievements, offering constructive feedback that focuses on effort rather than outcomes encourages a growth mindset.
Ready to support your child through the trickiest years they’ve ever experienced? Remember, this period won’t last forever – so, try to enjoy the highs and lows together, sharing memories and strengthening your bond.