Skip to content
Learn about Self-Esteem Project
dove logo
  • See All

    • BROWSE TYPE
      • Body Wash
      • Beauty Bar
      • Bath Products
      • Mousses & Scrubs
      • Hand Wash
    • BROWSE NEED
      • Dry Skin
      • Sensitive Skin
      • Moisturised Skin
      • Tired Skin
      • Relax
    • BROWSE INGREDIENTS
      • Shea Butter
      • Chamomile
      • Coconut
      • Floral
      • Vanilla
    • Try Our Best Selling Body Wash

       Dove Deeply Nourishing Body Wash reveals instantly softer skin

      Try Our Best Selling Body Wash
    • Dove Beauty Bar
      Dove Beauty Bar

    • BROWSE TYPE
      • Body Cream
      • Body Lotion
      • Hand Cream
      • Gradual Self Tan
    • BROWSE NEED
      • Sensitive Skin
      • Dry Skin
      • Mature Skin
      • Dull skin
    • BROWSE INGREDIENTS
      • Rice Milk
      • Vitamin C
      • Vitamin B3
      • Fruity
    • Dove GST Mousses and Lotion

      Discover our Gradual Tanning range for glowing, sun-kissed skin, whatever the weather

      Dove GST Lotion 200ml Medium to Dark
    • How to choose your best glowing skin routine

    • BROWSE TYPE
      • Spray antiperspirants and deodorants
      • Roll-onantiperspirants and deodorants
      • Stick antiperspirants and deodorants
    • BROWSE NEED
      • Extra strength antiperspirant
      • Basic care antiperspirant
      • Non-staining
    • BROWSE INGREDIENTS
      • Floral
      • Cucumber
      • Pomegranate
      • Coconut
    • Advanced care 72H sweat and odour protection

      Discover our advanced care range with our kindest to skin formula ever

      Advanced care 72H sweat and odour protection
    • Antiperspirant vs. deodorant: What’s the difference?

    • BROWSE TYPE
      • Shampoo
      • Conditioner
    • BROWSE NEED
      • Fine Hair
      • Damage Repair
      • Mature Hair
      • Volumising
      • Coloured Hair
    • BROWSE COLLECTIONS
      • Intensive Repair
      • Coconut & Restore
      • Daily Moisture
      • Amplified Texture
      • Colour Care
      • Pro Age
    • Dove 1 Minute Super Conditioner
      Dove 1 Minute Super Conditioner
    • Hair Care Tips
    • How often should I wash my hair?

    • BROWSE TYPE
      • Cleansing
      • Deodorant
      • See all Men
    • BROWSE COLLECTIONS
      • Clean Comfort
      • Extra Fresh
      • Advanced Care
    • Advanced care 72hr odour and sweat protection
      Advanced care 72hr odour and sweat protection
    • Male Grooming Tips
    • GUYS: IT’S TIME TO TALK ABOUT MENTAL WELL-BEING

    Washing & Bathing

    • BROWSE TYPE
      • Body Wash
      • Beauty Bar
      • Bath Products
      • Mousses & Scrubs
      • Hand Wash
    • BROWSE NEED
      • Dry Skin
      • Sensitive Skin
      • Moisturised Skin
      • Tired Skin
      • Relax
    • BROWSE INGREDIENTS
      • Shea Butter
      • Chamomile
      • Coconut
      • Floral
      • Vanilla
    • Try Our Best Selling Body Wash

       Dove Deeply Nourishing Body Wash reveals instantly softer skin

      Try Our Best Selling Body Wash
    • Browse Beauty Bar Collections

    Skin Care

    • BROWSE TYPE
      • Body Cream
      • Body Lotion
      • Hand Cream
      • Gradual Self Tan
    • BROWSE NEED
      • Sensitive Skin
      • Dry Skin
      • Mature Skin
      • Dull skin
    • BROWSE INGREDIENTS
      • Rice Milk
      • Vitamin C
      • Vitamin B3
      • Fruity
    • Dove GST Mousses and Lotion

      Discover our Gradual Tanning range for glowing, sun-kissed skin, whatever the weather

      Dove GST Lotion 200ml Medium to Dark
    • How to choose your best glowing skin routine

    Deodorants

    • BROWSE TYPE
      • Spray antiperspirants and deodorants
      • Roll-onantiperspirants and deodorants
      • Stick antiperspirants and deodorants
    • BROWSE NEED
      • Extra strength antiperspirant
      • Basic care antiperspirant
      • Non-staining
    • BROWSE INGREDIENTS
      • Floral
      • Cucumber
      • Pomegranate
      • Coconut
    • Advanced care 72H sweat and odour protection

      Discover our advanced care range with our kindest to skin formula ever

      Advanced care 72H sweat and odour protection
    • Antiperspirant vs. deodorant: What’s the difference?
    • BROWSE TYPE
      • Shampoo
      • Conditioner
    • BROWSE NEED
      • Fine Hair
      • Damage Repair
      • Mature Hair
      • Volumising
      • Coloured Hair
    • BROWSE COLLECTIONS
      • Intensive Repair
      • Coconut & Restore
      • Daily Moisture
      • Amplified Texture
      • Colour Care
      • Pro Age
    • Dove 1 Minute Super Conditioner
      Dove 1 Minute Super Conditioner
    • Hair Care Tips
    • How often should I wash my hair?

    Hair Care

    Dove Men

    • BROWSE TYPE
      • Cleansing
      • Deodorant
      • See all Men
    • BROWSE COLLECTIONS
      • Clean Comfort
      • Extra Fresh
      • Advanced Care
    • Advanced care 72hr odour and sweat protection
      Advanced care 72hr odour and sweat protection
    • Male Grooming Tips
    • GUYS: IT’S TIME TO TALK ABOUT MENTAL WELL-BEING
  • Our Mission

    See All

      • #NewYearsUnresolution
      • #KeepBeautyReal
      • #NoDigitalDistortion
      • Project #ShowUs
      • The Real Cost of Beauty
      • Learn more about how Dove is Redefining Beauty
      • Project #Show Us
    • Two women smiling together

      Real inspirational Stories

      Beauty Portraits

      • Parent & Guardian Resources
      • Educator Resources
      • Youth Leader Resources
      • Sports Coach Resources
      • #KidsOnlineSafety
      • #KeepHerConfident
      • The Selfie Talk
      • Learn more about the Dove Self-Esteem Project
    • A group of animated characters next to their human version

      Create a more inclusive vision of beauty in gaming.

      Real Virtual Beauty
      • #NewYearsUnresolution
      • #KeepBeautyReal
      • #NoDigitalDistortion
      • Project #ShowUs
      • The Real Cost of Beauty
      • Learn more about how Dove is Redefining Beauty
    • Two women smiling together

      Real and Inspirational Stories

      Beauty Portraits
      • Parent & Guardian Resources
      • Educator Resources
      • Youth Leader Resources
      • Sports Coach Resources
      • #KidsOnlineSafety
      • #KeepHerConfident
      • The Selfie Talk
      • Learn more about the Dove Self-Esteem Project
    • A group of animated characters next to their human version

      Create a more inclusive vision of beauty in gaming.

      Real Virtual Beauty
      • Teacher resources
    • Women with half straight hair and half natural hair

      Create more inclusive and equitable workplaces for Black women.

      Dove x LinkedIn
      • Youth leader resources
    • Paid Paternity Leave

      Raise awareness and connect to resources for postpartum mental health issues.

      Under Pressure
  • Tips & Care

    See All
    • Washing & Bathing
      • Browse All
      • How to exfoliate
      • Keeping skin irritation at bay
      • Cleansing tips for oily skin
      • How to use exfoliating body polish: Your FAQs answered
    • Hair &  skincare tips
      • Browse all haircare tips
      • Browse all skincare tips
      • How to treat oily hair
      • 6 ways to personalise your self-tanning routine
      • How to glow your own way, every day
    • Underarm care tips
      • Browse all sweating tips​
      • Antiperspirant vs. Deodorant: What is the difference?
      • How to stop shaving rash
      • How to choose the best scented deodorant for YOU
      • How to avoid white deodorant marks
    • Men’s skincare tips
      • Browse all men’s care tips
      • Best deo for you​
      • How to get thicker hair
      • 4 Ways our smooth glide stick gives you underarm care
      • Men’s shower gel and beyond: making the most of your shower

The importance of individuality and uniqueness

19 May '20
5
min read

If your child doesn’t fit the ideal of what’s considered ‘cool’, they may feel left out – or think it’s easier to follow their peers. Encouraging a young person to celebrate their individuality can boost self-esteem, confidence, and ultimately, happiness.

Unfortunately, society encourages us all to look and act a certain way, and anything that even vaguely goes against those societal norms, is often challenged or ridiculed. This can make it hard to stay true to you - but if you’re not, your happiness will suffer.

 Sarah Newton

Celebrating diversity

Everyone has a unique set of qualities, talents and gifts. What are your child’s? Maybe they have a freckly nose, quick wit and can speak several languages. They might be tall, with caramel skin and a passion for photography. Or perhaps they're creative, with dimples and an ambition to win Olympic gold for curling.

Teen-specialising life coach Sarah Newton says, “Unfortunately, society encourages us all to look and act a certain way, and anything that even vaguely goes against those societal norms, is often challenged or ridiculed. This can make it hard to stay true to you – but if you’re not, your happiness will suffer.”

To help your child love their individuality and celebrate their uniqueness, ask them about their dreams and help them pursue their ambitions (our article Help your daughter value her body for more than its appearance may help) Explain how to set self-development goals and work towards them, and emphasise the importance of education too. 

Nobody should hide their true self

Embracing our individuality is essential for personal happiness. Trying to hide or change who we are to fit someone else’s ideals lessens our sense of self-worth, causing self-esteem to plummet and insecurities to soar.

If your child is struggling to do their own thing, or is changing themselves to try and fit in with their peers, offer reassurance that it’s perfectly OK to have interests that others may consider strange or unusual. In fact, it makes people more interesting.

It’s OK to be different

Compared with their peers, your child may have a different haircut, wear different clothes or listen to different styles of music, and all of these differences should be valued. Help them see how boring the world would be if everyone looked and acted the same. Point out that the most fascinating people are the ones who dare to do their own thing.

By teaching your child the value of their unique identity, you’ll be teaching them not only to love themselves, but also to truly accept others.

next steps

  • Be true to themselves. When they stop trying to fit in with the ‘popular’ crowd and instead start pleasing themselves, they will develop a strong sense of self-worth
  • Celebrate uniqueness with friends. Ask what makes each of their friends unique, then brainstorm ways that they can all celebrate their individual traits
  • Be proud of who they are, right now. If they want to make lots of friends, suggest they join a club or share their talents with like-minded people. Wearing the ‘right’ clothes or changing their personality won't help them make true friends
  • Find their own sense of style. Most teenagers love experimenting with fashion, but may feel pressured to imitate others. Support your son or daughter as they play with their appearance and find their own individual style
                
           
           

TAGS:

  • 8 to 16 years
  • body image
  • looks and appearance
  • parent
  • personal style
  • self-esteem

Related articles

  • Dove Self-Esteem Project in action
    The Dove Self-Esteem Project: Our Mission in Action
    Find 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.
  • How our expert partners help us build body confidence
    How our expert partners help us build body confidence
    Here are some of the expert partners who help us to build self-esteem boosting programmes and projects.
  • Boosting self-esteem with the Women’s Dermatologic Society
    Boosting self-esteem with the Women’s Dermatologic Society
    With the Women’s Dermatologic Society, we’re boosting self-esteem.
  • Dove Girls Room
    Girls Room: A series inspiring self-love and body positivity
    We’ve teamed up with Lena Waithe for Girls Room – an exclusive series inspiring young people with self-love and body positivity.
SEE ALL ARTICLES

Stay in Touch

Sign up and be the first to know about exciting offers, product updates and more from Dove and other Unilever Brands. By joining us, you confirm that you're over 16 years old and have read our Privacy Notice and Cookie Notice.

SIGN ME UP
Washing & Bathing
Men+Care
Antiperspirant & Deodorant
About Dove
FAQs
Contact Us
Privacy
Cookie Notice
Legal
Terms of Use
Accessibility
Site map
Disclaimer

FOLLOW US ON

facebook
twitter
instagram
youtube
United Kingdom
Dove logo
unilever logo

© {{dynamicYear}} Unilever

This website is directed only to U.K. consumers for products and services of Unilever United Kingdom. This website is not directed to consumers outside of the U.K.