How to Help Teenage Girls Accept Their Differences

If your teen daughter is constantly in a tizzy because she doesn't have the "right" brand of jeans, her hair is the "totally wrong" style or her body isn't shaped like the rail-thin model in her favorite fashion magazines, she isn't alone. For your teen, comparing herself to her peers is a normal part of life, according to the pediatric pros at the KidsHealth website. Although the pressure to fit in may seem commonplace to your teen, this doesn't mean you should condone acting like one of the herd. Instead, you can help your daughter to explore her individuality and accept her differences.

Instructions

    • 1

      Build up your teen's self-confidence. Praise your daughter, telling her just how amazing you think she is. Talk up your teen's differences, showing her how special they make her. For example, tell her that her bouncy spiral curls are just as beautiful -- if not more -- than her friend's super-straight locks.

    • 2

      Help your teen find an activity that builds on her own interests or talents. Ask your daughter what activities or extracurricular offerings are truly exciting to her. Explain that she doesn't have to join the art club simply because her supposed best friend is enthusiastically artsy or try out for cheerleading because that's what the "cool girls" do. Offer your teen options if she isn't sure what she wants to try -- such as sports, a musical instrument or a performing art.

    • 3

      Discuss the pros and cons of following someone else's footsteps. Keep in mind that peers can have both positive and negative influences on a child. For example, spending time studying to get A's like her friends do isn't necessarily a negative, while crash dieting to look like the popular girls is.

    • 4

      Give your teen an accurate picture of who she really is and what she actually looks like, helping her to get rid of the negative images she may see. Turn her self-critical thoughts around by showing her that she doesn't have to act or look like "everyone else" -- including celebrities and fashion models.

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