Teens sometimes seem to be alien creatures. They have hormones going in all directions and so many things change for them. Self esteem is a very important issue for teenagers so parents need to address it. The best scenario is to start looking at this with your children from an early age. Always encourage them to see the good qualities in themselves. These should be a combination of physical attributes as well as aspects of their personality that are a quality reflection of who they are.

For teenagers, self esteem often revolves around their physical appearance. This is why they may have a melt down when they have a bad hair day. It is why your son may decide to cancel a date he waited for all week when he sees a pimple forming on his forehead. While adults don’t see these things as big issues, for a teenager they are very important.

The self esteem a teenager has is a reflection of how they see themselves. It is important for parents to understand this. For example your child may look very good to you but they feel they are fat. That is the self image they have and it will negatively affect their self esteem. It can result in them withdrawing and it can result in them developing some type of eating disorder.

The way that a teenager’s body looks is a great part of their self esteem. This tends to be more of an issue for girls than for boys. If they aren’t developing their breasts like the girls around them it can affect their self esteem. Girls that get them too soon or that find them too large can also feel the same way. Boys also go through this so don’t think that they don’t. They just tend to keep it to themselves more.

Many teenagers can also end up suffering from depression due to poor self esteem. Too many parents don’t realize that. Instead they believe their teenager is just moody or that they want to have more time to themselves. Communication is very important at this age and you need to make sure you are willing to listen. This type of depression has also been linked to teenage suicide.