Where To focus

When most parents think about Building Adolescent Self Esteem they are reacting to a problem they see in their teen. Perhaps their teen is unhappy, not living up to his or her potential, depressed, unhealthy. What do most parents do? They focus all their energy on that single problem. They do not see their child as a whole person. They disregard or actually fail to see behaviors that do not fit the narrow definition they have created for their teenager. How could they possibly make a difference when the energy is being focused on the behaviors that already are disempowering and keeping the child exactly where he or she is?
Consider that looking at the whole person and who your child is being, how your child thinks and acts, creates the reality he or she lives. Rather than looking for what your child does and does not DO remember that he or she is a human being rather than a human doing. Focus on how his or her being in the world is attracting the results and life he or she lives.