Self esteem as defined by Wikipedia is a person’s overall emotional evaluation of his or her own worth. It is a judgment of oneself as well as an attitude toward the self.
Self esteem is developed through personal experiences both positive and negative. For teenagers things like academic performance, social acceptance, comparison with peers, peer judgment and relationships influence self esteem.
Teens experience both high and low self esteem issues. It is important to have a healthy self esteem. Low self esteem can cause problems.
Characteristics of low self esteem:
- Very critical of self
- Dissatisfaction in self
- Hypersensitive to criticism
- Exaggerated fear of making mistakes
- Dwelling on and exaggerating past mistakes
- Pessimism; general negative outlook
- Views temporary setbacks as permanent
- Takes feedback personally
- Low self esteem is often associated with body image, peer pressure, cyberbullying or bullying. Teens with low self esteem seek the approval of others to give them self worth. They often believe their self worth is dependent on whether they do well in school, relationships, sports, etc.
Encourage your teen. Do not dwell on past mistakes. Emphasize the positive. Help your teen live in the present. Trust your teen to solve problems and remind them it is ok to ask others for help when they need it. Be sensitive to their feelings and validate them.
Love them unconditionally.
Reference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-esteem
