When a daughter is born in the family, parents feel mixed emotions. While on one side, the blessing of a girl comes as happiness, on the other hand, the various challenges of having a girl child starts playing on their mind. In many cases, parents even prefer having a girl child. Although the perception of girls has changed largely, there are still some basic factors, which you cannot overlook.
Today, without a doubt, girls have proven in their own ways that they are as capable as boys are. Every year of a girl is important and comes with various challenges. However, the main trouble starts when your daughter becomes a teenager. But if you prove yourself to be a good parent, then there’s nothing you should worry about. So, here are a few parenting tips that can help you deal with your teenage daughter in a very effective manner.
She needs a friend not a parent
Daughter of any age is always close to her parents, but when she becomes a teen, she does not require a parent to watch over her but needs a friend. As a parent, the various concerns that comes with the age is natural, but if you take a step back and think with a cool head, you can actually be the best friend your child can ever ask for.
Space and time is everything
As much as you would want to protect your little princess from the world, you have to understand that as a parent there is a limitation of what you can do. By giving your daughter space, you are actually helping her to understand how to deal with things by herself. Similarly, as much as it is important to spend time with her, you also have to learn how to let her spend some time by herself.
Don’t change her, build her
There is a fine line between changing your daughter and building her. In order to let her grow, you have to let her learn to fight her own battles. Instead of changing her ways, show her how she can build herself up even if she wants to live on her own terms. When you build your daughter, you are making her strong and confident.
Give her freedom and let her set her boundaries
So many times, we have seen parents trying to set boundaries for their kids. In some cases, kids may follow the path that their parents show but in most of them, it turns out to be something different. It is essential to make her understand that although the freedom is given to her, it comes with a responsibility. This responsibility becomes a boundary on its own. Leave it to her to set the boundaries for herself so that she can still be connected to you but have her own way to handle her freedom.
Sex and boyfriends
Today, having a boyfriend at a very early age and getting intimate is a natural practice in most teens. As parents, this zone does ring the red alarm. In order for your child to confide in you, make sure that you create such an environment where she is free to talk to you about this part of her life. Instead of using the dramatic approach, it will be advisable to deal with such a sensitive matter calmly and with maturity. Do not feel ashamed to talk to her about your concerns pertaining to sex and boyfriends, instead, share what is in your mind and make her understand how important these things really are. To know more about the boy she is dating, it would be advisable for you to take out the time to meet the person. This will not build your relationship with her, but it will also help her to understand that you respect her equally.
Deal with your personal emotions
As parents, the minute our daughters touch the teens mark, we start feeling a lot of emotions and even insecurities. What we overlook is that now we no longer have a little baby in our hands but instead a girl who is racing towards womanhood. Our personal emotions can take over our ability to think and rationalize, this is why, it is important that before we teach our daughters about handling themselves, we should learn how to handle ourselves.
Let her be an open book for you and vice versa
You can make your relationship with your daughter special if you treat her more as a friend and less of a daughter. Raising a girl is challenging considering how the world is today, but if you just twist your approach towards your daughter, you will find that having a daughter is indeed a boon. Apart from that, you can be sure that just as how you become a strength for your child, similarly, your child can also become your strength.
