Relationships are key to self-confidence during the teen years. While we often think of romantic relationships as causing the most difficulty, relationships with friends can be just as perilous. Make sure that your teen is developing positive friendships. Ask to meet his friends and his friends’ parents. If you feel that your teen is heading in the wrong direction, steer him towards more positive activities and acquaintances. Make sure that your teen is choosing friends for the right reasons – because they enjoy each other’s company or have shared interests, not because someone is “cool” or “popular.”

Popularity is the magic word during the teen years. Not feeling popular can make even the most secure teens start to doubt themselves. If you feel like your teen is having trouble fitting in, have an honest talk with her about how she views herself and what she wants out of friends, school and life. Emphasize all of her great qualities and let her know that she doesn’t have to be the homecoming queen to be an amazing person. If your child seems to be having trouble making friends, help her become involved in a new activity that will introduce her to other young people.

As much as teens wouldn’t want to admit it, family relationships are also important to their lives. Strong parental relationships are key to helping teens weather the peer pressure, stress and other problems of adolescence. Teens are notorious for not wanting to tell their parents anything. If you ask how school was today, you’ll get a shrug and a mumbled answer. It’s easy to give up in the face of this reticence, but do everything you can to keep the lines of communication open. Teens can feel confident in even the most difficult decisions if they know they will find support at home.

Just because the teen years have hit, all is not lost. With a solid foundation at home and a bit of parental encouragement teenagers can make the most of this exciting yet trying time with their confidence intact.

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