It’s practically the norm for teenagers to angst over their body image and any little details about themselves they don’t like. At worst, this can turn into low self-esteem and other mental health problems. As a parent, you understandably want to prevent this, so you must do your part in encouraging your teen to have a positive body image. Below are three of the best, effective strategies you can try for success.
1. Stress Health Over Appearance
One of the best ways to help your teen with body image is to focus on their health rather than their appearance. Exercise and fitness naturally fight and prevent depression and anxiety. Cook healthy, well-balanced home meals and provide your teen with a healthy diet when he or she is on your watch. Go on bike rides with your entire family and encourage participation in sports. All of these things will help your teen remain healthy, so your teen will feel better about his or her body.
2. Encourage Them To Focus On What They Like About Themselves
One of the classic ways to help with self-image is to support your teen in focusing on what they do like about themselves, rather than what they dislike. For example, even if your teen isn’t fond of their face, they might be very proud of their beautiful hair and eyes. Help your teen out by buying products and suggesting hairstyles that bring out the best in their favorite features. Also remind your teen that something they might not like about themselves might be loved by others. For example, freckles might be considered very cute or beautiful by a significant other. Remind them that everyone has things they feel self-conscious about, and that confidence is about more than how they look.
3. Fix Fixable Causes Of A Poor Body Image
While in many cases your teen will have to learn to love themselves in spite of their perceived flaws, there are other times when the thing that’s causing them grief is rather easy to fix. For example, orthodontic work, like the work done by professionals at Cobbe Dental & Orthodontics, might be necessary for health reasons rather than just cosmetic ones. And it’s usually rather simple to get an antibiotic prescription to deal with acne.
Finally, remind your teen that everyone has things about themselves they don’t like. The grass is always greener, after all. It’s your role to help your teen come to terms with who they are, or take healthy steps to change it. Use strategies, like the ones outlined above, that have been proven to be successful. Your teen will (eventually, anyway) thank you for your support and dedication.
