Expert resources for parents and mentors to help raise young people's self-esteem
The evidenced-based resources on this site have been specifically designed to encourage young people to develop and maintain a healthy body image during the transition to adulthood.
In a world that constantly tells young people how they should look and has a narrow definition of 'beautiful', how can we help them value their unique beauty and stay true to themselves?
Working with experts from the fields of psychology, health and media, the Dove Self-Esteem Project has developed a range of resources – including videos, activities, case studies and professional advice – to help guide parents and teenagers.
As well as helping you understand how your daughter or son is feeling, our materials will help you counter the negative influence of the media and bullying on young people's body image.
Research shows that spending just 30 minutes engaging with the resources on this site will empower you to boost the self-esteem and mood of the young person you love – and improve your own body image, too. So what are you waiting for?
#ConfidenceKit
The Confidence Kit is made up of a series of articles covering key topics that affect self-esteem and provides activities to boost body confidence in your child.
Join usOur topics
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![Mum and daughter hugging]()
Family, friends & relationships
Articles and activities to help parents communicate with children & offer support with friendship problems, sibling relationships and body image6 -
![Mum, dad and daughter playing video games]()
Respecting & looking after yourself
Articles, activities & relationship advice for parents to help their teenage child overcome low self-esteem & build body confidence during the stages of puberty6 -
![Mum and daughter chatting]()
Teasing & bullying
Information on bullying and different types of bullying, such as bullying in school & cyberbullying, including why bullies bully and how to help stop bullying71 -
![Media culture and teens]()
Media & celebrities
Advice for parents on how the media, advertising and celebrity role models influence young people's body image and self-confidence6 -
![Building self-esteem]()
Building self-esteem
Discover how appearance affects self-esteem, and help your teenager deal with the effects of social media, peer pressure, media ideals, fat talk, and more7
What would you like to learn more about?
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relationships
communication
11 to 16 years
Words of encouragement: how you can support your childDo you offer your child words of wisdom and encouragement? It could encourage them to open up, strengthen your parent-child bond and build their self-esteem.Life can feel lonely for teenagers. Have you considered writing a message of support to your son or daughter about being a teenager? Sharing your own experiences, words of wisdom and encouragement can help you empathise with them and improve your conversations.
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relationships
emotions and behaviour
communication
11 to 16 years
What is active listening, and how can it help you communicate with your child?Discover the secrets of active listening, and learn how to talk so teens will listen, to improve communication with your young adult.Communicating with teens about the problems they're facing can be difficult – it’s all too easy to say, “You’ll get over it.” But being dismissive can discourage them from expressing their feelings.
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![Communicating with teens]()
relationships
emotions and behaviour
communication
11 to 16 years
The Parent Translator: a tool to tackle communication skillsHow to improve your listening skills and verbal communication to talk effectively to your child & overcome teenage communication problems.Communicating with your child should be easy. But miscommunication is easier. You make a simple comment about what they’re wearing and they storm off, slamming the door. You ask what they had for lunch and they assume it’s an attack about their diet. While you’re just trying to show how much you care about them, their reactions suggest you’re speaking a different language.
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relationships
8 to 16 years
How to have a great father daughter relationshipHow to build a strong father daughter relationship and improve your communication skills to support your daughter growing up.You may never have been a girl yourself, but that needn’t be a barrier to father daughter bonding. You want your daughter to grow into a self-confident young woman – and she’s going to need her dad on her side.
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relationships
emotions and behaviour
communication
8 to 16 years
Differing points of view in your mother-daughter relationshipHow to improve communication skills to talk to your daughter effectively & strengthen your mother-daughter relationship.Convincing kids that it's worth devoting time and effort to schoolwork can be a major source of tension. Here, a mother, Jennifer, and her daughters, Emily and Samantha*, give their views on a typical mother-daughter struggle over homework – showing how understanding other people’s points of view in family disputes can reduce anger and upset on all sides.
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![Dove on Roblox]()
self confidence
communication
teaching
expert partners
Dove x Roblox: Super U StoryAvailable now on Roblox is Super U Story, our first-of-its kind game developed to improve self-esteem. -
![Dove #SelfEsteemAtHome]()
development
media image
self confidence
emotions and behaviour
expert partners
8 to 16 years
#SelfEsteemAtHome: Body confidence classes for kidsThe Dove Self-Esteem Project has teamed up with body positive activist Megan Crabbe @bodyposipanda to provide positivity for young people through classes while they’re staying safe at home.The Dove Self-Esteem Project has teamed up with body positive activist Megan Crabbe @bodyposipanda to provide positivity for young people through classes while they’re staying safe at home.
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![Confident Me resources for parents]()
bullying
media image
self confidence
communication
8 to 16 years
Confidence Kit: A tool to help build positive body confidence in your childAs a parent, it’s natural to want the best for your child – for them to be happy, healthy and confident individuals.As a parent, it’s natural to want the best for your child – for them to be happy, healthy and confident individuals.
But that’s sometimes easier said than done, especially during the teen and pre-teen years when their bodies are changing, their self-confidence is fragile and they are trying to make that tricky transition out of childhood.
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![Dove Self-Esteem Project in action]()
self confidence
communication
teaching
8 to 16 years
The Dove Self-Esteem Project: Our Mission in ActionFind out how the Dove Self-Esteem project is helping young people reach their full life potential by delivering quality body confidence and self-esteem education.It's a shocking fact that eight out of 10 girls are so concerned about body image that they opt out of important life activities.
