IMPROVE YOUR TEEN'S SELF ESTEEM

Help boost your teenager daughter's self confidence by nurturing her talents, being a good role model, and helping her build a positive self image. By improving her self esteem, your teen girl can be happier, healthier and more successful.

ENCOURAGE YOUR DAUGHTER'S TALENTS.

From a young age, support your daughter's interests and help her discover her talents. Whether they lie in sports, academics, dancing or painting, help your teen daughter nurture her gifts to the best of your ability. Encourage her to try new things and keep in mind that she may fail several times before finding something she loves. By helping her succeed and develop confidence in her talents rather than simply praising how she looks and acts, you will help her build her self esteem.

BE A GOOD ROLE MODEL.

Don't expect your daughter to be overflowing with self confidence if you are full of self doubt yourself. Don't criticize your own appearance or put yourself down. Dr. Phil says, "If she watches you looking in the mirror saying, 'I look terrible. I look fat. I hate the way I look in this,' and she watches how you cower from life and don't carry yourself with dignity and pride and your head up, then she is going to learn and mimic those very things." You'd be surprised how much your own low self esteem and body image issues influence your daughter.

SUPPORT POSITIVE FRIENDSHIPS.

Friends are very important to teens and can help boost self confidence. Though you can't pick and choose her friends, you can encourage positive friendships in her life. Teach your teen about mutual respect and acceptance. Though her goal might be to join the most popular crowd, she's more likely to develop healthy, long-term friendships if she concentrates more on peers with common interests, goals and values rather than just popularity. Real friends accept each other, even with all our little quirks and differences; stick together through tough times; and celebrate all our triumphs and successes, large and small. Establish your home as a place where your daughter can hang out with her friends so you can get to know them.

TALK ABOUT SELF IMAGE.

Keep open lines of communication with your teen daughter and don't make any topic taboo. She should be able to come to you to talk about anything from grades to drugs to sex. Don't try too hard to be a friend to her -- you are still a parent and an authority figure -- but let her know that you are always available to talk or just listen. Talk with your daughter about self image and what defines her as a person. Help her realize her value as a young woman.

LOOKS AREN'T EVERYTHING...

...but they mean a lot to teens. Teach your daughter that beauty is not about looking like a model or movie star, but rather taking care of herself. If your daughter has a poor body image, help her realize that there are things she can change and things she can't. If she's overweight or out of shape, start exercising together and promote healthy habits. If she's not happy with her makeup routine, take her for a mini-makeover at a department store. A makeup artist can show her how to use cosmetics to highlight her assets while still looking natural. Even when primping, continue to put the emphasis back on your daughter's talents. Makeup, hair and clothes might make you look good from the outside, but as cliche as it sounds, it's what's on the inside that counts.

PRAISE HER ACTIONS.

It may be difficult, but you must learn to praise your daughter's achievements and actions, not her looks. This should start from a very young age, but it's also extremely important for teens. Instead of telling your daughter how beautiful she looks, praise her progress in school, accomplishments in sports or changes in behavior. Though everyone needs to hear that she looks pretty every now and again, compliments and praise about her true self will go a long way in boosting her self confidence.

For more on this post, visit: She Knows Parenting

http://www.sheknows.com

Happy New Year!

Happiness is an attitude. We either make ourselves miserable, or happy and strong. The amount of work is the same.

We hope that in 2012 you will choose happiness! Emmie's Hope has gone through some major changes and due to the economy our camps have been put "on hold."

However, our message is still the same-the health and happiness of our young girls of today are still in danger. Here at Emmie's Hope we want to strive to do things in a positive way and provide information that will help the young women of tomorrow! They are our future!

Happy New Year and God Bless!

Young girls of today are bombarded by the media and their peers to conform to an unrealistic and idealistic image based on external appearances.
Much focus is placed upon what one looks like, while little is being done developing them internally, reminding them of their true essence. Because of this, anorexia, bulimia, depression, plastic surgery, and even suicide are at an all time high amongst our teens. Emmie's Hope can help! We are having another camp June of 2011 in Windsor, CO!

Teenage Bullying

'Make Your Child Bully Proof
From The Heroes and Dreams Foundation
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.' Remember that old rhyme? It wasn't true when you were in school, and it isn't true now. Teasing, taunting and other forms of bullying can cause serious emotional harm to children that lasts much longer than the bloody nose or scraped knees. Ignoring or excusing the behavior, saying things like 'kids will be kids,' only perpetuates the situation.
Bullying takes place in every school: According to the Heroes and Dreams Foundation, a nonprofit resource center for parents in Minneapolis, on average, one student in 10 is bullied at least once a week, and one in three has experienced bullying as either a bully or a target during the average school term. The children most likely to experience bullying are in fifth, sixth and seventh grades. Boys are more likely to be involved than girls.
There are three types of bullying. It can be physical (hitting, kicking, taking things or returning things damaged), verbal (name-calling, taunting, insulting), or emotional (shunning, spreading nasty gossip). It is deliberate and hurtful behavior, usually repeated over a period of time. Bullying is almost always done to kids who are perceived to be more vulnerable than the bullies.
The fear of being harassed in school gets in the way of learning, and makes going to school a miserable experience. Being bullied can make children feel lonely, unhappy and unsafe. Children who are being bullied may develop stomach aches, nightmares, nervousness and anxiety.
What Parents Can Do If your child complains about being bullied at school, or if you suspect that might be happening, here are some suggestions.
Make it clear that you accept your child's reports of what is happening and that you take them seriously. She needs to know she has someone on her side who is willing to help her. Today, you are her hero.
Reassure her that this situation can be resolved.
At the same time, let her know that you do not think this is her fault. Her confidence has already taken a big hit, and she already feels like a victim.
While it is natural to want to protect your child by solving the problem for him, it will serve your child better if you teach him how to solve the problem himself. By learning the skills to stand up for himself, he can use them in other situations.
Ask your child how she has been dealing with the bullying, talk about what else can be done and discuss what actions you can both take to solve the problem. Reassure her you will consult her before taking any action.
Teach your child how to respond to a bully in a bold, assertive way.
Practice with him at home by role playing. Participation in other activities builds confidence and develops social skills, making it easier to find ways of saying, "Leave me alone."
Suggest that your child stick with two or more other children when at the playground, the bus stop or wherever she comes face-to-face with the bully.
Make sure your child knows it is okay to ask for help from a teacher or other adult. Practice what he'll say so he doesn't sound like he's whining or tattling.
Determine if your child has healthy friendships with other children. If not, perhaps she can benefit by developing better social skills.
Encourage her to invite friends over to your home and participate in school activities.
If necessary, meet with school representatives to discuss the problem.
Remember, bullying is not a normal part of growing up. Help your child develop the necessary tools to stick up for himself and others.
The Heroes and Dreams Foundation develops and distributes multimedia learning tools to help parents help their kids ages 5 to 13 achieve academic and social success.

Help Instill Self Confidence in Girls

As girls grow, they are faced with self-esteem issues that affect behavior. Recognizing this and working to instill self-esteem through activities is a win-win for everybody. Here are 10 tips to launch girls on the right path.
Girls want opportunities for leadership. They also want to share in planning and decision-making.

Girls want their voices to be heard now, not just when they are older. They want adults to listen and take them seriously. Actively listen to girls' voices, opinions, and ideas. Remember to recognize accomplishments.

Provide girls with a safe place where they can discuss real issues. Girls desire a trusting, confidential environment to feel emotionally safe.
Girls want to choose from a full range of activities. Create opportunities for girls to explore new things, sample diversity, and give back to their communities.

Girls are experiencing teen pressures at younger and younger ages. However, they may have trouble dealing with these issues because their emotional development may not be in sync with their social, cognitive, and sexual development.

Girls' self-images are determined not only by their self-perceptions but also the perceptions of others. It is imperative that adults be positive, honest, and supportive. Girls also need to strengthen cultural beliefs and practices that enhance self-esteem; this includes a competent approach to dealing with body image and nutrition.

Girls are interested in expressing themselves through a variety of ways—fashion, art, community action, the outdoors, and decorating, for example. Take time to find out what girls' interests are and help them tap into their creativity.

Girls want to connect with young women they admire, such as young professionals and college students. They also want to work with "experts" who can share their talents. Offer girls opportunities to connect with a myriad of adult role models.

Girls ages 8–12 are more worried about being teased and made fun of than they are about being attacked with a weapon or being kidnapped. That is how seriously they regard negative attention. Show, by example, how important it is to respect girls' experiences.

In the company of other females, girls can express themselves without fear of being judged by boys. Provide opportunities for girls to build on their strengths and try new things in a supportive all-girl environment. By Randell M. Bynum and Judy Schoenberg

Self Esteem

What is Low Self Esteem?
Low self esteem comes from a poor self image. Your self image is based on how you see yourself. Do you think you are a good, reliable, hardworking, honest or friendly person? Do you like what you see when you look in the mirror or do you believe others look better and dress better than you?
What is High Self Esteem?
High self esteem is the opposite of the above! If you have a high level of self esteem you will be confident, happy, highly motivated and have the right attitude to succeed.
The Importance of Self Esteem.
Self esteem is crucial and is a cornerstone of a positive attitude towards living. It is very important because it affects how you think, act and even how you relate to other people. It allows you to live life to your potential. Low self esteem means poor confidence and that also causes negative thoughts which means that you are likely to give up easily rather than face challenges. In addition, it has a direct bearing on your happiness and wellbeing.

Girls Coping with drugs, alcholo, sexting....

(CNN) – If you have teenagers, the list of things to worry about seems to grow longer every day. It can be even more stressful if you have a teenage daughter.
Research shows more girls than ever are taking anti-depressants, using alcohol and even drinking and driving. Technology is adding new problems with things like Internet bullying and sexting. For more info see our link to this special report on CNN. Click on "Girls coping with drugs, alcohol, sexting."