This post comes to us from Barb Steinberg, a teen life coach who regularly holds workshops for adolescent girls and the adults who care for them. She’s gathered some ideas of ways to spend Valentine’s Day with the young lady in your life that can boost self esteem and confidence.

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It’s the time of year we think about Valentine’s Day, love and ways to commemorate the upcoming holiday. Typically, when we think about spending time with tween and teen girls, we gravitate towards outings involving manicures and pedicures.

If the two of you enjoy your time at the spa, have at it! But if you are looking for other ideas to show her your love, my staff and I came up with a list of very Austin-tatious outings which will help connect the two of you and help her love her body, both inside and out. What better gift could a girl get for Valentine’s Day — one which she can take with her throughout her life?

• Take a hike. It might be hard to get her to open up when her phone is in easy reach, but on the trail, she will only need to get it out to snap photos of the two of you. Head to a state park, Enchanted Rock or even for the long loop of the Butler Hike and Bike Trail. Ask her about herself, ask her advice and be prepared to listen.
• Go skydiving. Brain scientists have discovered that adolescents are rewarded for risk, so provide her with opportunities to take risks with you in a safe environment. So, whether it’s jumping out of a plane or checking out iFly, the indoor skydiving business in Austin, get out of your comfort zone and experience it together.
• Hang out, up high. Was she a climber growing up? Maybe a tomboy? How about signing up for an aerial arts class together? You can try Sky Candy or Trapeze Austin for an introductory class.
• Run away from home, together. After February, things start to warm up in Austin, so how about committing to one of the many 5ks around town? There are a few around Valentine’s Day, but if you want to do some training together, you could sign up for the Cap10k and set up weekend runs starting around Valentine’s Day. There are so many fun runs out there, even if you don’t want to commit to running the whole way.
• Play. If neither of you are up for breaking a sweat, you can still do something different by taking her to Peter Pan Mini Golf, going bowling, booking a horseback ride, climbing the walls (literally) at Austin Rock Gym or heading to paint your own pottery.

Barb Steinberg, LMSW is a teen life coach and workshop facilitator who transforms the lives of adolescent girls and the adults who care about them. She will lead a workshop for parents of girls 10 and older, Helping Our Girls Love Their Bodies, on Saturday, February 22nd in collaboration with The Griffin School. Pre-registration is required.