Building self-esteem

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.

Images of people in the media are manipulated so dramatically these days, that it can feel like 'beauty' is less and less attainable. Help your child resist media influence and see the real picture.

In the dazzling world of social media, today’s youth are often living their lives in full view of an online audience. For those from a different generation, the idea of ‘checking in’ online or sharing a selfie to let people know where you are and what you're up to might seem bizarre. But for young people today, getting ‘likes’ on photos, posts or comments in the virtual world can bring a powerful sense of accomplishment and community acceptance.

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. 

Jokes and teasing are common in most close family relationships, but when they hit a nerve they can cause low self-esteem. We’ve put together a common-sense checklist to help you keep the family comedians under control and stop young people feeling picked on.

Isn't it wonderful when your child feels confident and happy and can find the words to express it? Use our confidence building activities to help them vocalise what they love about being 'me'.

At Dove, we're committed to making beauty a source of confidence, not anxiety. That’s why we're a founding partner of the Be Real Campaign – a national movement formed in response to the Reflections on Body Image report from the All Party Parliamentary Group for Body Image. Together, we are campaigning to change attitudes to body image, put health above appearance, and help all of us be confident in our bodies. 

Low body confidence can be hard to identify and even harder to address, which is why Dove is on a mission to help everyone support young people to be more body confident.

In a world where appearances sometimes seem to matter more than anything else, it's important to redress the balance. We've put together an action checklist to help shift your daughter's attention from how she looks on the outside, to what an amazing person she is on the inside.