Girls and self-esteem

This is a tough subject to navigate.  It is so hard to be a girl these days.  So much pressure from peers in school or other peer groups.  Fortunately for my girls, they are home-schooled which eliminates a lot of peer pressure for them, and they know exactly who they are.

So what exactly is self-esteem?  Self-esteem is your overall opinion of yourself.  When you have healthy self-esteem, you feel good about yourself.  Having low self-esteem makes you feel that your ideas and opinions have no value.  You also tell yourself that you are not good enough.  

I am happy to say that neither of my girls have issues concerning their self worth.  They see themselves in a positive light.  They like who they are and they know they matter.  But sadly, this is not the case with all young girls.  There is a high percentage of girls who do not believe they are good enough or they are inadequate, unworthy, or unlovable.  This is unfortunate.  Poor self-esteem is strongly related to the way girls view their bodies.  

Girls with low self-esteem also engage in risky behaviors such as smoking, drinking, eating disorders, sex, and bullying.  Girls with low self-esteem use these outlets to build confidence.  Girls with low self-esteem are also very critical about themselves and often talk badly about themselves.  About one-third of girls with low self-esteem feel that they are not good enough daughters.

How you can help.
~Never talk about your own body in a negative manner
~be encouraging
~dads play a very important role in their daughter's self-esteem so be encouraging
~encourage them to do things that might be considered stereotypical for males to do like working on a car or cutting the grass
~do not limit their choices
~support the activities that they chose to participate in

I am listing valuable resources regarding girls and self-esteem and what you the parent can do to help foster a healthy self-esteem pattern for your girls below.

Facts about teens and self-esteem.

Mayo Clinic

NYU child study center

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