Parents will naturally want to help their teenagers make sensible choices for the next stages of their life, such as studies and careers. However, it’s also critical to ensure teens develop a healthy level of self-confidence so they understand the value of hard work, working towards goals, and creative thinking and problem-solving skills.
Confident teens will understand that the effort they put in, combined with positive thinking will help them reach their goals, whatever they may be. Here are five activities you can use to help your teen develop the confidence they need to lead a happy, productive life.
1. Compliments Journal
Provide your teen with a journal and tell them they are to write down at least three things they like about themselves.
This exercise is aimed at helping young kids learn to love themselves and that the approval of others is not a guide to their self-worth. When teens can love themselves, it can significantly improve their self-confidence.
2. Self-Confidence Building Worksheet
A self-confidence-building exercise is a helpful tool a teen can use to explore their feelings. They can write down examples of different situations where they felt self-confident and then answer a series of questions about it, such as:
- How did you feel physically – describe the sensations and feelings you felt in your body.
- What is your self-talk about the situation, or what do you tell yourself?
- What did you do as a result?
Another aspect they can add to the exercise is to explore a situation where they didn’t feel confident.
- What are some positive statements they could tell themselves to remind themselves of their self-worth?
- What could I have done that would make me feel differently about the situation?
- What could I do differently if confronted with the same problem?
3. Book of Mistakes
A book where teens record their mistakes can help reinforce the lessons learned during a situation and explore options for turning the errors into success.
Teens should list the most common mistakes they have made in the past, why they might have failed, and what they will do differently next time.
4. Gratitude Diary
Feeling grateful, even for the little things, can do wonders for turning negative self-talk into positive feedback. Your teen should write down at least two things for which they are grateful to start, and then gradually increase the number of items over the coming weeks.
At the end of the week, your teen can compare their collection of notes to see how their mindset may have changed. This exercise is excellent for giving teens the confidence to improve relationships and boost their perceived level of self-worth.
5. Changing Negative Self-Talk into Positive Self Talk
Persistent self-criticism and negative self-talk can lead to low self-esteem. Teenagers can learn to change their negative thought patterns into more positive ones using the following three-step exercise.
The first step is to write down their negative thoughts. Next, they should explain the thought process at length, any feelings that have arisen because of it, and a few of the things they think might create some resistance to the negative thought.
In the third stage, parents work with the teenagers in discussing some of the different choices they have in replacing the negative thoughts with more positive versions.
Conclusion
The above are just a few simple habits and exercises you can teach your teenager that has been shown to help develop self-confidence as they grow towards becoming independent successful adults.