How to Raise Teenage Girls
Give her space., Be there for her., Tell her how much you value her and love her., Let her express herself through fashion, but have limits., Get to know your daughter's friends., Help your daughter maintain a healthy body image.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Give her space.
More often then not, your teenage daughter is going to want to spend less and less time with you.
Don't get upset about this, it's natural and nothing personal in most cases.
Your daughter is wanting more independence and subconsciously wants to prove her adulthood to those around her.
She may shut her door instead of leaving it open like she used to, or she may have private phone conversations in a hidden corner of the house.
The important thing is not to threaten her privacy or try to barge in unexpectedly, or she may pull away even more.Though you may desperately want to know what's going on in your daughter's life, saying things like, "What were you talking about with your friend?" or "What were you doing alone in your room for so many hours?" will actually make her distance herself even more.
If she wants to share something with you, she will.
If she storms into the house, or just looks very upset and runs up to her room, you can say something like, "I know you're upset right now and you probably don't want to talk about it.
But if you want to talk about it later, I'm always here for you." This will reassure your daughter without pressing her to talk when she's not ready. -
Step 2: Be there for her.
When your daughter is down, ask her what's up.
If she doesn't want to tell you, then it's fair enough, but be her shoulder to cry on.
Have good advice at hand to help her out.
Let her know that your door is always open, and remind her that hey, you were a teenager once and you managed to survive.
Sometimes she may not want to talk and will just need a shoulder to cry on.
Be there for her then, too, without forcing her to tell you what's up.
If your daughter is down, eat some ice cream and watch TV with her.
Be there as a comforting parent and friend.
If she needs your support for something in school, be there for her, whether you're watching her tennis match or her debate tournament. , It sounds very cheesy, and she may act like she hates it, but you never know what's going on inside her.
It could be the one thing that keeps her going.
Let her know how special she is to you and mention all of the great qualities that she possesses.
Though you don't want to do this too often or she may feel suffocated, you should tell her often enough that she knows its true.
Many teenage girls are incredibly insecure, and you should make your daughter feel better about herself.
Don't criticize her looks, tell her to lose weight, or try to force her to hang out with the popular kids.
If your daughter feels like her own mother or father isn't happy with who she is, then her self-esteem will plummet. , She might want to wear something one time that you don't approve of.
Or, she might want some clothes that are ridiculously expensive.
Remember your personal morals here, and try to reason with her.
Peer pressure will be setting in, and you don't want to outcast her totally from her friends.
Be reasonable.
If you make her dress like a Puritan, she will likely change into something more provocative once she leaves your home.
However, if you feel like her friends are all really wearing incredibly provocative clothing, you can talk to her about why you don't think that's a good idea. , Though you don't have to act like you're so cool that you're BFF with all of your daughter's friends, you should get to know them a bit.
Invite them over for dinner.
Let your daughter have a sleepover or just invite her friends over to watch a movie or something.
Ask them questions about their lives without being too intrusive or nosy.
Besides, seeing your daughter's friends and getting to know them will make you less nervous about what she does when she goes out with them.
You'll feel more safe knowing that she's in good hands.
If you don't like one of your daughter's friends, don't criticize the friend in front of her unless you think she is a really, really bad influence.
This will only make your daughter want to hang out with this person more. , The oddest comment, from one of her friends, one of her enemies, or even you, could trigger her sensitive emotions.
Try to notice signs of depression, bulimic traits, or anorexia, as these can be very serious.
Many teenage girls develop a poor body image as well as eating disorders, and it's important to make sure your daughter is eating three healthy meals and also feeling good about eating, instead of punishing herself for it.
Do not ever tell your daughter she could lose a few pounds.
Unless she's obese and her weight is really hurting her health, this is absolutely the worst way to make her feel good about her body. -
Step 3: Tell her how much you value her and love her.
-
Step 4: Let her express herself through fashion
-
Step 5: but have limits.
-
Step 6: Get to know your daughter's friends.
-
Step 7: Help your daughter maintain a healthy body image.
Detailed Guide
More often then not, your teenage daughter is going to want to spend less and less time with you.
Don't get upset about this, it's natural and nothing personal in most cases.
Your daughter is wanting more independence and subconsciously wants to prove her adulthood to those around her.
She may shut her door instead of leaving it open like she used to, or she may have private phone conversations in a hidden corner of the house.
The important thing is not to threaten her privacy or try to barge in unexpectedly, or she may pull away even more.Though you may desperately want to know what's going on in your daughter's life, saying things like, "What were you talking about with your friend?" or "What were you doing alone in your room for so many hours?" will actually make her distance herself even more.
If she wants to share something with you, she will.
If she storms into the house, or just looks very upset and runs up to her room, you can say something like, "I know you're upset right now and you probably don't want to talk about it.
But if you want to talk about it later, I'm always here for you." This will reassure your daughter without pressing her to talk when she's not ready.
When your daughter is down, ask her what's up.
If she doesn't want to tell you, then it's fair enough, but be her shoulder to cry on.
Have good advice at hand to help her out.
Let her know that your door is always open, and remind her that hey, you were a teenager once and you managed to survive.
Sometimes she may not want to talk and will just need a shoulder to cry on.
Be there for her then, too, without forcing her to tell you what's up.
If your daughter is down, eat some ice cream and watch TV with her.
Be there as a comforting parent and friend.
If she needs your support for something in school, be there for her, whether you're watching her tennis match or her debate tournament. , It sounds very cheesy, and she may act like she hates it, but you never know what's going on inside her.
It could be the one thing that keeps her going.
Let her know how special she is to you and mention all of the great qualities that she possesses.
Though you don't want to do this too often or she may feel suffocated, you should tell her often enough that she knows its true.
Many teenage girls are incredibly insecure, and you should make your daughter feel better about herself.
Don't criticize her looks, tell her to lose weight, or try to force her to hang out with the popular kids.
If your daughter feels like her own mother or father isn't happy with who she is, then her self-esteem will plummet. , She might want to wear something one time that you don't approve of.
Or, she might want some clothes that are ridiculously expensive.
Remember your personal morals here, and try to reason with her.
Peer pressure will be setting in, and you don't want to outcast her totally from her friends.
Be reasonable.
If you make her dress like a Puritan, she will likely change into something more provocative once she leaves your home.
However, if you feel like her friends are all really wearing incredibly provocative clothing, you can talk to her about why you don't think that's a good idea. , Though you don't have to act like you're so cool that you're BFF with all of your daughter's friends, you should get to know them a bit.
Invite them over for dinner.
Let your daughter have a sleepover or just invite her friends over to watch a movie or something.
Ask them questions about their lives without being too intrusive or nosy.
Besides, seeing your daughter's friends and getting to know them will make you less nervous about what she does when she goes out with them.
You'll feel more safe knowing that she's in good hands.
If you don't like one of your daughter's friends, don't criticize the friend in front of her unless you think she is a really, really bad influence.
This will only make your daughter want to hang out with this person more. , The oddest comment, from one of her friends, one of her enemies, or even you, could trigger her sensitive emotions.
Try to notice signs of depression, bulimic traits, or anorexia, as these can be very serious.
Many teenage girls develop a poor body image as well as eating disorders, and it's important to make sure your daughter is eating three healthy meals and also feeling good about eating, instead of punishing herself for it.
Do not ever tell your daughter she could lose a few pounds.
Unless she's obese and her weight is really hurting her health, this is absolutely the worst way to make her feel good about her body.
About the Author
Hannah Kelly
Experienced content creator specializing in organization guides and tutorials.
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