Self-esteem is the positive feeling you have about yourself as a person, which influences how you think and act toward yourself and others. Many girls lose their sense of self-esteem in adolescence, as they focus on scrutinizing their bodies and become sexualized. According to the NYU Child Study Center, eating disorders, low self-esteem and depression are the most common mental health problems in girls. Low self-esteem can spur a host of problems, including eating disorders, drug and alcohol abuse and risky sexual behaviors. Helping girls build self-esteem helps them lead healthier, happier lives.
Boost Self-Esteem
Step 1
Allow girls to fail. Although it may seem kinder to help girls and protect them, you will encourage feelings of helplessness and low self-worth if you don't let them try and make mistakes on their own. Girls who realize they can overcome setbacks and accomplish things on their own will be more confident and have higher self-esteem than those who are not allowed to try.
Step 2
Offer praise for jobs well-done. You can help build self-esteem in girls by encouraging them to pursue interests and subjects that they are passionate about. Many girls' sense of confidence becomes frail when they focus obsessively on their appearance. By encouraging a girl to focus instead on activities she can do and goals she can accomplish, you will guide her toward building a sense of self-worth that doesn't depend on her looks.
Step 3
Avoid gender stereotypes. Allow girls to fix things around the house, play sports such as soccer and basketball, and join the math club. Restricting girls to "feminine" activities increases the likelihood that they'll feel pressure to look perfect and act submissively, meanwhile, leaving their strengths and interests undeveloped.
Step 4
Educate girls. Encourage them to do well in school and pursue academic interests, which will increase job opportunities down the road as well as financial independence. HealthyPlace points to study findings that among women who are college graduates, 95 percent said that things were going at least fairly well in their lives, compared with only 3 percent of the women who had not completed high school.
Step 5
Encourage girls to look at the media critically. Many movies, TV shows, commercials and advertisements promote the idea that women must fit a narrow definition of beauty to be successful and happy, and these messages can be very damaging to girls' self-esteem, causing them to practice unhealthy diet habits and feel a sense of worthlessness. Discuss the views of women in the media with your girl, and offer her more realistic ideas and explanations of beauty and womanhood.
Tips and Warnings
- Keep the lines of communication open with your child so she will feel comfortable talking to you about any problems or challenges that arise while she accomplishes the sometimes difficult task of growing up.
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