Self-esteem and self-confidence in girls have the inclination of dropping somewhere between the ages of 9 and 15. You need to encourage and boost these during their younger days to offset this potentially troubling time. Here are some suggestions that may assist in this time.

1.      First and foremost, having a positive role model in their life is of the utmost importance. Having adult women in their life that don’t simply live the inappropriate stereotypes of women can be very helpful to give them a better base to build their own confidence levels. Having the strength to say “No” is very important throughout life. Especially today with more pressures than ever. They need to know they matter as much as the next person. They can have their feelings, and if they are strong enough they need to express them, that it’s good to get them out, rather than keeping them in. Otherwise it will destroy their self confidence. A good positive role model can help them realize that everyone has the right to good self esteem and confidence.

2.      Always encourage young girls to try new things. Through this they will discover their likes, and talents. Self esteem and self confidence grow from what we all learn. The more the better. It makes us somebody! When young girls feel valued by their parents and in their own home, they will rely less on validation from sources that might not care as much.

3.      Encouraging them to do their best in school and learning will go a long way. Success in school is something that is long-term and brings a lifetime of habits and knowledge. The more you know, the more confident you are. School offers many ways for this, from Math, Science, Spelling, Social Studies, Language Arts, and beyond; give them skills they can use for the rest of their life, gain confidence in themselves, and feel better (with success) about themselves.

4.      With the increase in content on the vast TV networks anymore, there are so many views of anything that it can confuse anyone looking for the definite truth. Too much of it will prevent young girls (and anyone else) from seeing reality where there is a lot more consistency. Limiting TV viewing will give them a lot more time to live and gain confidence in their own doings in real life.

In the end, raising self-esteem and confidence in young girls is a very important process. Parents are the first line in bringing them up through struggles, tough times, and teaching them to roll with the punches. It will lead to your girls growing up with more confidence, and the ability to stand on their own two feet in life.