Raising a daughter can be complicated, to say the least. Even the most fearless, independent girls can fall prey to depression, anxiety, and lower self-esteem. Once your daughter reaches her early teenage years, she may become more aware of how she compares to other girls. The comparisons are there at every turn.

According to Today’s Parent:

By age 11, only 36 percent of girls say they are self-confident - and that number drops sharply as girls enter the teenage years.

With statistics like this and more, it’s no wonder that parents today need to take extra time to boost their daughter’s confidence and self-worth.

To help you make sure your daughter is all that she can be, we have brought together a few ideas on how to raise your daughter to become a confident young woman. 

• Let her know you love her how she is. Make sure that she knows you love her because of who she is, not because of what she weighs or how she looks.
• Confront and condemn “girl fighting” when you see it. Such fighting could be gossiping or exclusion.
• Push her to take some risks. Urge your daughter to go beyond her comfort zone, make sure she knows that sometimes the bigger the risk, the bigger the reward.
• Give her a voice. When making decisions, let her make some. Things like letting her choose her own activities or letting her choose her own clothes will allow her to learn to make wise decisions.
• Let her go after something she wants. Give your daughter the self-confidence and self-esteem booster by letting her conquer the things that she is passionate about.
• Encourage her to work with other girls in her class. Push for some fun team-building activities, because we all know, girls who work together are unstoppable.
• Let her disagree. When she has a different opinion or is unhappy with the way you handled something, let her know it is okay to respectfully disagree with you. When the time comes, this will give her the confidence she needs to stand up to her boyfriend, teacher or classmate that she may not agree with.
• Spend time together! Sometimes the best thing for a daughter is to spend time with a mother who is a confident woman. Give her something to aspire to!

About Choices Psychotherapy

Choice is the foundation for a change. Choice speaks to the reality that there is not one right answer for all.  At Choices Psychotherapy, we are committed to empowering clients and their families to identify options while assisting in creating a personal roadmap toward health and recovery.

Related: Identity & Body Image