The tween and teen years can be rough….and at the moment I’m the mother of 3 teens, 1 tween, and another turning 10 next week. I should know. And despite what my own kids might believe right now…I was there myself a *few* years ago and can relate to the struggle to be a confident teen.
So much has changed since I was a teenager. Now it’s all about how many followers you have on Instagram and how many likes you got on your Facebook post and how good you look in the selfie you just posted on twitter. My teenage years had none of that.
I had perms and pegged pants.
As a parent of teens, I’ve had to learn a few new things about what it means to be a teen today. Luckily, do know a thing or two about social media (I’m guessing most parents of teens can’t say they have more experience – and followers – on social media sites than their teens…but I can) and I do know what it’s like to be a teen…even if it has been a while.
I understand the struggle to want to look good, the challenge of discovering the self-confidence needed to navigate the path to adulthood. The smallest stumbling block can feel huge in its impact. And, frankly, something as “small” as the way their smile looks in the mirror makes a big difference in a teen’s confidence.
Unbrace Teen Confidence
Last year, the makers of Invisalign clear aligners polled 3,577 US teenagers ages 13-17 and 2,118 US mothers of teens ages 13-17, plus an oversample of 101 mothers of teens ages 13-17 who wear or have worn Invisalign clear aligners (survey conducted by Kelton, a leading global consumer insights and research firm). The data that they collected was very intriguing:
- 54% of teens felt their life would be better without social media
- 40% feel their appearance is being judged more closely on social media than in person
- 90% of teens feel judged by their peers; 94% of teens believe looks affect popularity
- 57% of teens think that crooked teeth are embarrassing vs. 23% of Moms. But while 41% of teens feel wearing traditional braces is embarrassing, only 18% of moms agree
- 92% of Teens say that wearing metal braces would keep them from fitting in with their peers
The Invisalign Mom Advisory Board
A few years ago, my oldest daughter had Invisalign to straighten her teeth. So when we started talking about our second daughter’s need for braces, we immediately thought of Invisalign. Just as we were planning on getting her started on treatment, I was asked to be a member of the Invisalign Mom Advisory Board. I am thrilled to officially announce that I am joining 4 other fantastic bloggers: Asha from Parent Hacks, Daily from Daily Curlz, Shelby from OC Mom Blog and Staci from 7 On a Shoestring.
I got to meet my fellow 2015 Invisalign Mom Advisory Board members last month in San Jose (yes, we had a blast together!):
My soon-to-be 16-year-old daughter, Necco (a nickname), will be starting her Invisalign treatment shortly, and we couldn’t be more excited. One of the big concerns that Necco had when contemplating orthodontics was the fact that she is frequently on the stage. As a singer in an award-winning barbershop quartet, Necco is concerned with how she looks in front of the crowd. We are thrilled that she has the confidence to get up on the stage and perform with her fellow quartet members, and we didn’t want anything to take away from that.
I can’t wait for her journey to begin – and to see her new and improved smile in a little while. We know how beautiful she is inside and out…and we want everyone else (herself included) to see that, too.
Curious to see if Invisalign is an option for your child? Take the Smile Assessment and check the Doctor Locator to find an Invisalign provider near you.
Remember those survey findings above? One of the most incredible things about Invisalign aligners is that they can straighten teeth without metal brackets and wires that stand out. Here are a few additional findings from the survey that paint a more hopeful picture for those parents out there hoping to help their teens achieve straighter teeth. Yes, it is possible to gain confidence and straighten teeth at the same time.
- Teens wearing Invisalign Teen are 68% less likely to be teased than those wearing metal braces
- While in treatment, it is two times more likely for teens using Invisalign Teen clear aligners to experience a boost in self-esteem than teens wearing traditional braces
- 40% of teens think that wearing traditional braces would have or has had a negative impact on their self-confidence, while just 13% say this about Invisalign treatment
Ask away! I’ll be sharing more information in the coming months about Necco’s journey with Invisalign and my time on the Mom Advisory Board. Please feel free to ask me any questions – here, privately, on Facebook, wherever! I can’t wait for the things that I’ve got planned and for our adventure to get underway.
Here’s to confident, beautiful, talented teens!
Connect with Invisalign:
- Invisalign Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/invisalign
- Invisalign Twitter: https://twitter.com/Invisalign
- Invisalign Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/Invisalign/
- Invisalign Instagram: https://instagram.com/invisalign/
- Invisalign YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/invisalign
- Invisalign Teen Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/invisalignteen
- Invisalign Teen Twitter: https://twitter.com/invisalignteen
- Invisalign Teen Instagram: https://instagram.com/invisalignteen
- Invisalign Teen YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/invisalignteen
- Invisalign Teen Tumblr: https://invisalignteen.tumblr.com/
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I had a perm for about 15 years. And with a comment like that, I think I might have to dig up a picture of both for you. :)
I am so proud of you telling the world you had perms and pegged pants! Love this post. The teen years can be so hard on the self esteem.
I don’t have a teen yet, but I’m already thinking of how I’m going to help my children have a ton of confidence, because I didn’t at that age!