Kids need to be validated by their peers and the adults in their lives. They need a genuine sense of others interested in them, their ideas, interests, strengths, weaknesses, or faults. Developmentally, adolescence is all about the pursuit of an authentic identity that resonates deeply within and accurately reflects externally what’s going on inside. Kids try on multiple personas throughout their teenage years to pursue their real identities. Validation is the secret ingredient to helping them find the confidence to settle into their authentic selves.