Encouragement is something a lot of today’s teens don’t get enough of. Instead of encouraging words, we are faced with hurtful remarks, crude phrases and even worse … silence. I’m only 16, but I have had enough.

Sure I get encouragement from my family and friends, but that’s not the point. Praise is a rare thing now. Praise, encouragement, compliments, call it what you will, it doesn’t change the fact that most teens don’t get enough of it.

You’d be surprised at how much difference an encouraging smile or even a simple nod can make to your teen. I’m sure you stand behind your son or daughter all the way. But do they know that? Are they sure of that? It’s not just up to the parents either. Friends make a big difference, too.

Don’t wait for a birthday, graduation or holiday to tell your son or daughter how proud they make you. Tell them now. And see if it doesn’t make even the slightest difference. You may not see the results now, but they’ll be there in the future. You may never see them, but at least you’ll know you encouraged them in a way that they saw. I don’t want to tell anyone what to do.

I’m not an advice columnist. I’m not a psychiatrist. I’m just a 16-year-old girl who understands how much difference a little word can make. So, please, show your son or daughter that you’re rooting for them in the big game of life.

Margaret Daniels

Marion