I am in the middle of mid-terms (Yuck!), so I am honored to have a guest blogger, Camille Billy, from BABYPICKEL blogging on how body image and self esteem can effect your teenager.
I am sure that not one person reading this blog forgets what it was like to be a tween or teenager and all of the issues that were associated with those ages. There's so many different insecurities to have...you think you hair isn't straight enough or you're too tall or you're too quiet or you don't have enough friends or these must be something wrong with you because you don't have as much fun in gym class as everyone else. Those insecurities were just some of the many I had as a teenager. I grew up in an extremely loving and nurturing household - was constantly told i was loved - but even that didn't wash away any of the insecurities I had.
Now what's the difference between body image and self-esteem? Body image is how a person feels about their physical appearance. Self-esteem is how much worth they give themselves - which is so important because it is inversely related to what kind of control you have over your own behavior - how easily you will make friends, enjoy life, react when you're in certain situations, etc. Body image and self-esteem are usually related to one another - if you have a high sense of body image, your self-esteem will be great. (And vice versa.)
Now what's the difference between body image and self-esteem? Body image is how a person feels about their physical appearance. Self-esteem is how much worth they give themselves - which is so important because it is inversely related to what kind of control you have over your own behavior - how easily you will make friends, enjoy life, react when you're in certain situations, etc. Body image and self-esteem are usually related to one another - if you have a high sense of body image, your self-esteem will be great. (And vice versa.)
It is no major breakthrough that having a poor body image and/or self-esteem will affect you negatively and cause some problems as a young woman or man growing up in a society that advertises nothing but beautifully sculpted, flawless people. Having strong and positive self-esteem will empower your teen to lead a happy life where they will have fun, do well in school, enjoy time with friends, and really just enjoy their youth - that's how it should be!
As parents, it is obviously very important to help promote your teen's self-esteem. You are probably asking yourself - "how on earth do I do this?! I love my teen and provide for them...what else can I do?"
There are quite a few things you can do that will help to foster positive self-esteem and make a difference:
- Be careful what you say.
Make sure you praise your teen instead of being negative. What a parent says to their teenager is very important! What if your teen doesn't make the play she tried out for? Tell her how proud you are of her for trying and that you noticed how much effort she put into it. BE POSITIVE!
- Be a positive role model
- Identify and redirect your teen's inaccurate beliefs
Whatever it is that your teen might feel about themselves that is inaccurate - make sure you remedy that!! It could be about how good a student they are or how attractive others think they are. Once you learn of your teen's inaccurate believe about themselves, make sure you encourage them and help turn their beliefs into positive ones!
- Be spontaneous and affectionate
Showing love will help boost your teen's self-esteem! Constantly tell them how important they are to you, how much you love them, how great they are, etc. Don't only tell them in person, but leave them notes in their back pack or on their bed before they go to bed
- Make sure that home is a safe and loving environment
If a teen is living in a household where they do not feel safe, they will definitely suffer from low self-esteem. Remember how important it is to not only respect your children, but respect YOURSELF as well. if you are living in a situation that isn't any good for you, it is 100% not any good for your teen to be living in it...especially at a time in their life where they will begin to foster who they are as a person.
- Involve your teen in constructive experiences
When a certain experience encourages working together (instead of competition), your teen will begin to build positive self-esteem. It will make your teen feel good to know they are working toward a certain goal with someone else, instead of working against them.
- Be aware of situations with your teen and their peers and friends
Healthy relationships between your teen and others they see on a regular basis is so important. If you learn of a situation where they are not in a positive situation, help to make sure your teen is taught ways to try to get something positive from that situation.
- Show you care!
If your teen told you how much he/she loves butterflies, the next time you go to the store, bring them back a cute butterfly sticker. Or if he/she shows interest in a particular butterfly when you are gardening outside...teach them more about that particular butterfly! It will show that you truly care about how they feel and what they like to do.
http://kidshealth.org/teen/your mind/body image/body image.html
E-mail: pickelfacebook@live.com
Bio: I am a 23-year-old graduate with a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and a year of the "real world" under my belt. I have a very strong passion for helping those who are in need. It has been such a blessing (and honor) that god had my path cross with Baby Pickel during the brink of their birth. (We are currently working to help single mothers and their families who are in dire need of support - whether it be just an open ear or a lent hand (clothes, food, etc) for their family. We are driven by God - we are doing what he commands us to do - help and love others in ANY way possible.) I lead a simple, but fulfilling life that consists of spending time with God, family/friends, working out, and enjoying the beauty of photography. With every person I encounter, I strive to show how much God loves each and every person - I pray that i warm every person's heart in some way. One of (and I have many) goals is to be a Psalms 31 woman.
Info on Blog/Why Blogging: Our company, Baby Pickel, is what leads me to blogging. Baby Pickel is focusing on mothers and families who are in dire need of some special assistance. We have constant donations of baby clothes, toys, items, etc. that are coming in that we are able to bless those who are in need with. In order to hlep those out financially, we have a homemade jar that is our pride & joy - contents of the baby jar have been hand selected to fit a variety of needs for expecting mothers. This gives us the ability to help those out in a financial manner.
The Baby Pickel blog is about our company's progress with blessing mommies, pumped with messages to inspire all who read it! A lot of the inspiration comes from situations we encounter on a daily basis - our lives are blessed with so much inspiration that is touched by God, that the blog comes easy!
2 comments:
This is possibly one of the better sources of information I have stumbled across on this topic. Have you looked into the other side of the topic of SELF ESTEEM AFFIRMATION? Personally, I think a solid argument could be made either way, but please let me know if you know of more sites on the Internet that back up what you are proposing.Self Esteem Affirmations”.
As much as I don't like to admit it, my mother's opinion of me is the only opinion I care about. Not that I'm by any means a slave to her wishes, but every criticism hurts like hell.
http://furthurtothefuture.blogspot.com/
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