In adolescence, there are many doubts and self -esteem fragile. According to a British psychologist, summer offers a unique framework to strengthen the confidence of teens, provided you put good intentions.
Adolescence is a period full of doubts, questioning, acceptance of oneself and your body … Teens sometimes find it difficult to assert themselves, to find their place among the others. At this stage of life, self -confidence is a slow construction, often heckled by comparisons, judgments or failures. And for many young people, the gaze of others weighs heavy. According to an investigation carried out in the United Kingdom by Prince’s Trust, almost one in two teenagers declares to lack self-confidence. And this feeling does not affect the most shy: it can reach everyone, whatever the academic results, physical appearance or social life.
However, according to the British psychologist Dr Tara Porter, a teenager specialist, it is not by multiplying the compliments that we will really strengthen the confidence of a teenager. “We often think that it is enough to tell a teenager that he is great, but that does not have much effect if he does not prove himself.“This is where summer, with its parenthesis out of the school framework, plays a key role. Less stress, less pressure, more free time, more opportunities to experience. It is a period when the teen can get out of its routine, test new things, surprise itself. And according to the psychologist, it is precisely”By doing difficult, new or frightening things that a teenager will develop a real esteem of him. “
The secret, therefore, is not parental discourse, but action. “Self -confidence is built by experience. The more a young person is a matter of challenges, even small, the more it is growing.” Dr. Porter recommends that parents thus encourage their teenagers to get out of their comfort zone during the summer: learn to swim, volunteer, try a manual activity, cook a meal alone, move in town, talk to a stranger in a secure context. It is these small moments of personal pride that feed self -esteem. The important thing is that the teenager perceived that he was able to do something that he thought he could not do. No spectacular feat need: “These are the little repeated victories that count”.
Finally, parents also have a crucial role in this dynamic. First, by accepting that their teenager is afraid, that he doubts or that he fails. Let a teenager try things without immediately intervening, is also sending him the message that he is trusted and that he becomes independent. Then, by valuing the effort more than the result: “You gave yourself trouble getting there“is often more than “You are the best”. And then, why not try something together? A shared project, even simple, often makes it possible to recreate bonds and strengthen mutual trust. All, by taking advantage of this lighter season, where the agendas are less tight, and where you can give yourself the right to try … and to miss.
