It is all too easy for teenagers to feel that somehow they are missing the mark and they are not as clever or as attractive as their friends. If you have a struggling teen who feels that he or she just isn’t good enough then you may be interested in ideas on how to improve a teen’s self esteem. Most of us recognize that character and a sense of self is built in childhood but tend to forget that teenagers also watch everything closely and look for clues as to how they should be.

Children and teenagers absorb what is going on around them and then reflect it back at you. If someone is growing up in a home where there are heated arguments and even violence then it hinders that teenager’s chance of developing a solid sense of self and forming healthy relationships.

A child who is emotionally neglected and never praised at home will grow into a troubled teen who sees life as a continual struggle and themselves as of no consequence. A major problem for teenagers is the hormonal trouble that affects us all, which is why teenagers are so sensitive and the way you treat them can have either a damaging or uplifting effect on the self esteem and their sense of self. When you are dealing with a teenager, it might not always be obvious, but praise and words of encouragement when ever the opportunity arises, can have a lasting positive effect on that person’s self esteem and character development.

Most teenagers exhibit the Greta Garbo effect of wanting to be alone at points but this does not mean that you should disengage from them. You need to be able to give them space, as and when they need it, while at the same time being there, ready to offer words of comfort and advice as needed.

Teenagers are often harder emotional work than most four year olds and their behavior is often extremely erratic, due to the hormonal changes in their body. While you can pick up a four year old, give them a hug and put them to bed, it is not that simple with a teenager. It is difficult to give someone their own space, while at the same time being mindful that they need you to be there, ready to offer words of encouragement and maybe offer a hug.

Most teenagers feel unsure of themselves because they are standing on the threshold of the adult world. On the one hand they want to grow up and experience all that adulthood has to offer, while on the other they still need your ready ear, your guiding hand, and your approval. Parenting a teen is not an easy job but if you follow a few general guidelines you will end up with a well rounded adult with a sense of their own worth.

There is the main problem here: teen self esteem seeks to be built through duplicating the fantasy and public relations character of the celebrity. The image of the celebrity is not the real person. This sets the teen up for a great fall since they can never live up to a fantasy.

Again, life experience here is limited, which is why the teen will fall into a number of traps. Teenage girls, most famously, fall into the extremely difficult trap of having to present a body image that is next to impossible to attain. Often, this is the root of teenage eating disorders and even worse problems.

What the average teenage girl does not understand is that a certain look and image has to be maintained for a celebrity. Celebrities cannot look ëaverage’ or else they will lose much of what makes them special. As a result, enormous steps are taken to boost the appearance of the celebrity, which is achieved in ways that the average person cannot follow.

For example, a starlet training to appear in an action movie can invest 5 hours a day into working out. The average person most assuredly cannot. So, for teen self esteem to be built around such an image, it is more likely the teen will end up being let down. Again, the goals are too difficult to attain.

Such information is not articulated to teens. As a result, they end up having a very unrealistic body image in mind. (Again, that is where much of the teenage eating disorders emerge.) Because teens are never able to succeed in duplicating the figures they see in film and on magazine covers, they can fall into depressing or self-esteem crushing behavior. Such an approach does very little for improving their overall opinion of themselves. 

Will this problem ever go away? No, human beings have been influenced by imagery in the arts for centuries. It is doubtful that human nature will ever change in such regards any time soon. However, there are ways that teen self esteem can be boosted despite the celebrity influence that they are constantly under.

In order to help improve teen self esteem, it becomes necessary that adults do what is necessary to inform teens of the lack of reality such imagery presents. No, it is not necessarily easy to do such a thing but it can be done with the proper effort and patience. In time, it may be possible to guide a teen to a more realistic outlook on the concept. This, in turn, can set the stage to increase teen self esteem.

Teen eating disorders are becoming a common problem in our society. With the constant perception that thinner is better, many teens are starving their bodies, and doing damage to their internal organs. Of all the different eating disorders, teen anorexia is the most common. As these problems first start, the teen will try to hide their disorder, but as time progresses signs become more apparent.

Early intervention is essential in the treatment of teen eating disorders. When it is caught in the beginning stages, the learned behavior can be treated easier. As it progresses though, the behavior becomes a vigorous training of the mind and body, and the recovery process becomes far more difficult.  When you do go for treatment, you need to show you care and offer support, being confrontational with a sensitive eating disorder such as teen anorexia can have a negative outcome.

The following are different warning signs for an eating disorder. While they are in their early stages they may appear to be healthy dieting, and the individual may look like they are just being concerned about their weight. Watch as this progresses and intervene if necessary.

Restrictive Dieting: While limiting their food intake would be natural on a diet to a point, skipping meals as a whole is a warning sign. In teen anorexia for example, foods your child once loved will make them disgusted. They may simply skip meals on a regular basis as well and increase their intake of water.

At the times they do eat, your teen may only consume very small portions of food. They may even look over the packaging while you are making food, and find a combination of foods that deliver the least amount of calories. As the disease progresses further, diet pills and illegal drugs like speed may be used to help curb the feeling of being hungry.

Bingeing: Bingeing is another one of the teen eating disorders. Instead of limiting their diet, they eat normally around everyone at meals. In private, they will eat comfort foods in bulk. Usually there will be hidden stashes of junk food in their room, and sweets and chips in the kitchen may empty quickly.

Personal Image: When you look at a person with an eating disorder, you can begin to see the signs depending on what their body does. Someone suffering from teen anorexia will rapidly lose weight from their body.  At first they may try to conceal this weight loss with baggie clothing, but when they have reached a thinner level will wear more revealing attire. As it progresses further in stages, they will begin to wear clothing that covers them up more to prevent people from seeing their bones.

Weight gain and fluctuating weights are common for binge eating. With all disorders, the individual may spend unhealthy amounts of time in front of a mirror looking over their body and criticizing it as a whole, or specific areas that have some weight to them, even as they grow thinner.

Remember it is important to take the first step in intervention as soon as you notice a teen eating disorder. While many times it could be simple dieting, there is a chance it may be teen anorexia, which can lead to serious health problems.

To recap the following are warning signs every parent should watch for:

    * An unnatural focus on body weight
    * Calorie watching obsession
    * Extreme dieting even when they are thin
    * Unexplainable weight loss, or extreme instant weight loss
    * Heavy consumption of diet pills and laxatives
    * Habitual exercising
    * Avoiding eating
    * Refusal to go to social events where eating may be required
    * Using the restroom after meals
    * Secret late night snacking
    * Stashing junk food