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Encouraging Heroes. You can be one too.

Today’s world is full of modern pressures that put extreme amounts of pressure on teenage boys. It can be difficult for teens to build their self-esteem with all the influence that comes through the media, school, and social media platforms such as Facebook. However, parents can be one of the most significant support systems for their teens as they develop the confidence that is needed to be successful in life.

Encourage Their Independence

An integral part of developing confidence is having a healthy sense of independence. The opinions of teen boys should be considered to be important to parents and encouraged. The skills that they need to make decisions in their own lives should also be cultivated through the support of parents as well. When teens want to give their input in family decisions, they can be put on equal footing as the adults in the household. Should your teen be reluctant to participate in this way, ask for his ideas and encourage activities that will help him to express his personality.

Be Present During Conflict

When teenagers face challenges and difficult situations, it is a critical time in their developmental lives. Conflicts at school and among friends or siblings may seem minor to parents. However, the way that teen boys handle these situations can lead to important steps forward in their abilities to make real changes in the world. Parents may not be able to directly intervene in situations such as these, but it is important to offer guidance and assistance whenever possible so that they can make the best decisions possible.

Dress for Success

Teens should be able to express confidence through clothing. By ensuring that your son dresses well, you raise his self image and ensure that other people have a good first impression as well. So when he says something like: buy this brand to look cool, take him seriously. Kids seek acceptance in a variety of ways, clothing is definitely one of them. When you look good, you tend to feel good also. Unshakable self-esteem can be based on some very simple things and knowing that you have top quality clothing and a sense of fashion that is solid is one of them.

Constructive Criticism

It can be easy to harshly judge your teenage son without meaning to do any actual harm. However, it is important to provide criticism in a manner that offers guidance along with the reprimands. Purely negative statements should be avoided. Instead, use the proper tone, and approach the situation from a positive position that obviously is meant to help your son to succeed. It is critical not to act or talk out of anger and to avoid sarcasm.

With these approaches under your parenting belt, you can make the transition that occurs during adolescence one that is less painful. Your son can become a confident young man when you support them and engage in parenting that is centered around empathy and understanding.

Earnest Parenting: help for parents of teen boys.