Are you aware of your teen's Self Esteem?

As parents most of you believe you are in touch with your teen and would be able to tell if there was a problem growing at school or at home. One of the easiest ways to be aware about how your teen is feeling is to pay attention to how self confident they are feeling or acting.  Is your teen isolated, have little to no friends, are they talkative, are they moody or do you simply not know any of these answers? 

If you are unsure of your teen's self esteem level, here are some steps you can take to learn about their self confidence: 

1. Keep an open dialect: Ask, listen and summarize when you have conversations. This will help establish trust and keep your relationship growing. If they are answering poorly or barely answering, they may be hiding their low self esteem. If they are talking to you, you can learn about their self esteem just by listening.  

2. Meet their friends: They spend about half their time at school with their friends. Ask them to invite friends over, meet their friends and get to know them. Learn what their hobbies and interests are. Are your teens friends involve din drug use or sexual activity? If yes, this can be a sign of low self esteem. Judge as a parent how your teen is choosing friends and if they are genuine. 

3. Be observant: Look for signs of unhappiness, worry, sadness or anger. Mood swings to a certain extent are common in teens but if it is prolonged or excessive this can be a sign of anxiety or depression. 

Use the above steps to recognize your teens self esteem. Repeat the steps until you see that your teen is confident, if you see warning signs that your teen has low self esteem do not feel frustrated. Pick up the phone and do not hesitate to contact a professional! 

Seventeen Signs Your Teen Is Depressed

Teens are one of my favorite age group to work with. They are young, impressionable, highly emotional, shy and can be explosive at times. As a teen therapist I see many parents who ask me when they should be concerned about their child's mood swings. Some parents believe their teen is just going through typical "teenage mood swings." Many parents are mistaken and ask me "what are simple signs I can look for to make sure my teen is not depressed.?" Here are some depression signs you can start looking for: 

1. Your teen is spending more time alone in their room. 

2. Your teen is wearing long sleeves and pants during warm weather. 

3. Your teen is talking to you less and less everyday.

4. Your teen has new friends that you have not met. 

5. Your teen is crying for no reason. 

6. Your teen is angry for no reason. 

7. Your teen lost interest in a favorite hobby or after school activity. 

8. Your teen is drinking or using illegal drugs. 

9. Your teen is going to bed extra late (or not sleeping at all). 

10. Your teen sleeps all day while the sun is out. 

11. Your teen is barely eating or eating much more than usual. 

12. Your teen is spending more time on the computer alone. 

13. Your teen does not talk about friends at school.

14. Your teen is cutting or self harming. 

15. Your teen has changed their hair style to cover his/her eyes. 

16. Your teen is struggling in school. 

17. Your teen is giving away valuable possessions. 

Not all teens are the same and some of the above depression signs may not be applicable in your situation. If you suspect your teen is depressed, please do note hesitate to call for help.