By: Bernice Maune

Compliment your teen and highlight their strong points

Make it a point to give your daughter a compliment about her appearance, style of dressing, hairdo, hobby or school work once a week. That way she will grow accustomed to being praised for something personal to her. This will build her self-esteem and show her that home is where she is appreciated and she does not need to seek validation from outside or her peers.

Schedule a pampering session

Treat your teen by herself or with her bff to a pampering session such as a spa day. She will look forward to the regular sessions which will help her feel good about herself.

Spend time listening to their concerns

Hear your child out and make it a point to know what is happening in their personal lives. Ask about their social life, how they are coping at school and discover what their likes and dislikes are. Build a solid relationship based on effective communication to enable your teen to speak to you about anything.

Expose your teen to motivational books

Teach your child how to stay motivated by encouraging them to read inspirational material such as Paul Coehlo’s The Alchemist and Robin Sharma’s The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari. These books are written in an easy to understand style and contain active habits that they can take on while young.

Build a culture of positivity at home

Build a culture of positivity by urging the whole family to say at least three nice things to each other every day. Maintain this atmosphere by filling your home with positive quotes which lift the mood and get the whole family accustomed to saying these quotes out loud.

Encourage individuality

Speak to your children about their character and how unique their personalities are. Show them that their individuality is to be celebrated and that being original is a way to stand out.

Ask your teen to share written responses to the questions below and discuss each answer once a week to build their self-awareness and self-confidence.

• I like myself because…
• I’m an expert at…
• I feel good about…
• My friends would tell you I have a great…
• My favorite place is…
• I’m loved by…
• People say I am a good…
• I’ve been told I have pretty…
• I consider myself a good…
• What I enjoy most is…
• The person I admire the most is…
• I have a natural talent for…
• Goals for my future are…
• I know I will reach my goals because I am…
• People compliment me about…
• I feel good when I…
• I’ve been successful at…
• I laugh when I think about…
• The traits I admire myself for are…
• I feel peaceful when…