Who Is Your Daughter Talking To?
As your daughter matures through puberty, you will find yourself in a new phase. We might call it parenting 2.0.
She will begin to experience new emotions, lots of physical changes, and will want to talk to someone to find out if what is happening to her is normal.
One of the many challenges is that puberty is a time when she will want to rely on friends and others for comfort and input, and not always mom.
Although this maturing process can feel awkward for both of you, there are some ways that you can make sure that she is getting proper input and building healthy relationships.
Here are three suggestions you can try to support your daughter:
Offer her resources that you trust to find answers to her questions. There are lots of books out there, but few hit the mark for me. This is one of the reasons I decided to create my own. I didn’t think that a SINGLE book could cover all the phases of development our children experience. The third book in my I’m A Girl series, I’m A Girl, Hormones!, covers the anatomy and biology of what is happening when girls get their period. This is reproduction education, not sexuality. I believe girls need to understand their own bodies first and foremost, and this knowledge will help them to make the healthiest choices for themselves.
Your daughter probably has a small group of friends her age that are likely experiencing many of the same changes that she is experiencing. Be creative in ways to support this small squad of girls who will probably enjoy endless hours of talking about their feelings and concerns. Anything you can do to encourage hang-out time is a good investment on your part.
If you have a sister, friend, or other woman your daughter is close to, encourage that relationship to deepen during these years so that your daughter has someone you trust who can help guide her. It is just another way of doing all you can to make sure she is receiving input that you feel good about.
These are just a few ways you can impact your daughter’s life through the other relationships you trust. This is a period of time you may be called to get creative and fly under the radar.
Supporting your daughter in this way will let her know you care while giving her the room she needs to grow in confidence!
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