Don’t Define Me: Why Even Positive Labels May Affect Our Kids & Teens! Parenting Opinion Teens

Adolescents – well into their 20s, I’m sorry to say – often may reject labels parents ascribe. Teenagers may rebel hardest against the positive labels we give, thinking we are bolstering self-esteem. 

• the "bright" kid
• the "brilliant musician"
• the "prodigy" 
• the “good” child 

Many kids, upon hitting puberty, cultivate some identity opposed to the one adults have created (think "professional" kids who rebel in the public eye, like Miley, Lindsay or Justin). What to do? Resist labels; free them from OUR expectations. Give kids space to breathe. Let them be. Let them define themselves.