How to Nurture Your Grown Daughter Through Difficult Times

A mother-daughter relationship is one of the most beautiful relationships in the world when it is nurtured. It blossoms into a great friendship and you become best friends for a lifetime through bonding in difficult times. Your daughters need you when they are hurting and struggling with such things as dating, marital problems, childbirth, the raising of their young children, divorce, and the impact of sexual assault. There is no one else in the world who can love them and understand them better than a mother and also no one else who can better help them get through these hard times.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Do listen intently with every bit of energy and with great empathy. Don’t interrupt, but do acknowledge what you have heard. Express empathy. Do say things like “this is a very painful time for you and I’m sorry that you’re hurting so much”.
2. Do not give advice and don’t say “this will pass” or “everything will be okay”.
3. Don’t criticize or judge. Don’t say “I told you so”.
4. Be willing to listen to your daughter daily and even up to 2 hours or more at a time if she needs to talk.
5. Be supportive and write a warm and loving card to her if she lives away from you.
6. Do tell your daughter that you will be there for her everyday and the two of you will walk together in this difficult path.
7. Do tell her that you are grateful to have such a wonderful daughter.
8. Tell her often that you love her.
9. Do not tell her what to do, but encourage her to do the things she wants to do.
10. Be willing to research information that she may need or try to assist in any other way that you can.