If your child has a crooked smile, the orthodontist will strongly recommend braces. While it’s an incredibly effective option to align the teeth again, many people don’t like the look of braces. These people also include children. If you’re a parent of a child who’s reluctant to wear braces, try these three ways to help them feel more confident.
1. Exposure/Representation
For most people, representation is very important and has a huge impact on the way they view themselves. This is why movies like Blank Panther mean so much to the African American community. When people can look at the images in the media and see someone who looks like them, it does wonders for self-acceptance and self-esteem. Start to pay attention to celebrities who wear braces. Make sure to show images of these people on a regular basis. You can point the celebrities out. You can change the channel to shows that feature people with braces. It’s even wise to find cartoon characters who wear braces. Even if the effort is subtle, it can make a difference in a child’s subconscious mind.
2. Encouragement
As much as people would like to believe that words don’t make an impact on their lives, words really do matter. As a parent, your words can have a huge impact on your child. Your words can either make or break their experience. Since they’re young and impressionable, your job is to be the cheerleader. Build up their self-esteem by reminding them of how special they are. Tell them that their braces look amazing and fun. Find positive ways to encourage them so that they can feel confident during the process. Highlight the fact that it’s tons of fun to try different colors of rubber bands. Make the process seem really interesting. It can be really tempting for a child to look forward to the time when the braces come off. This process can take months or years. That’s a long time to feel like your beauty is on hold. Instead, encourage your child to embrace the look of braces right now. When this happens, they’ll be able to enjoy the journey more. Plus, once they have the confidence to rock their braces, that aura exudes and is magnetic. Before you know it, more kids will be asking their parents for braces because your child made it look cool.
3. Additional Features
Everyone possesses their own unique attributes that make them beautiful. Figure out what your child’s signature features are and play those features up. If your child has stunning eyes or luscious curls, make sure to emphasize that. Find curly hairstyles that are different and pull the hair off of the face. Find sculpting products that will elongate and define the curls even more. If your child is a teenager and is allowed to wear makeup, choose eyeshadow colors that will compliment the eyes. If your child has a love of wild colors, choose eyeglasses with frames that will stand out and make an impact.
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