Being young and still in the process of learning, teens are rarely aware of what they’re truly capable of. With you around to provide them with love, hope and support, it shouldn’t prove hard for them to discover themselves, become confident and remain on track to success. With your help, your child can become capable of taking on any challenge, jumping over any hurdle, and adopting a habit of settling for nothing less than success. Encouragement is indeed among the most invaluable things you can provide your young ones with. It’s important for you to learn how to encourage your kids and then act on it if you want to see them grow into confident and successful adults.

Keep Communications Lines Open

Your teen needs to know that you’re both available and accessible so they can come to you when in need of guidance and support. Therefore keep the lines of communication open. Listen when they’ve got something to say or share. It can help you get a good idea of what’s happening in their lives. Remaining accessible can also help you serve as a reliable support group, which is invaluable when it comes to building confidence in children.

Be Generous with Praises

Teens may not let it show too often, but what their parents think of them matters to them a lot. Your praises and criticism can have a huge impact on your child’s self-confidence. Therefore, try to compliment them as often as often. However, abstain from making them too confident of themselves, as that can leave them lose sight of reality and become too full of themselves. The right amount of acknowledgement and appreciation at the right time can motivate them to work harder and chase success more passionately.

Avoid Unrealistic Expectations

Conveying unrealistic expectations to your teen is certain to set them up for frustration, depression and loss of self-confidence as they’ll struggle to live up to them. Always keep their limitations in mind and remember that everyone has their fair share of strengths and weaknesses. Try not to burden your kid too much with your realistic expectations either, as that would put them under a lot of pressure.

Show Unconditional Love

In order to encourage your teen, make sure you remain a reliable source of love and support. There may be times when you’re mad or disappointed, but pretty much all kids are guilty of making their parents feel that way at some point. It’s okay and at times even necessary to be firm with them at times to discipline them. However, don’t let them develop an idea that you don’t like them very much. It can take a heavy toll on their self-confidence and self-esteem. Make sure they know that even though you’re angry at them, you still love them very much.

The more you invest in your relationship with your teen, the more beneficial it will be for the latter. Their self-confidence and motivation for success depends heavily on you and your attitude towards them. Every word or action of encouragement towards your child increases their chances of growing up into confident and successful adults.