How to Raise Teenage Girls

Many parents wish that there was some kind of cheat sheet attached to their children when they are born. There are plenty of helpful books that give advice on how to raise children, but there never seems to be one that will help you to understand all the quirks that you encounter along the path to reach adulthood. Teenage boys and girls require special handling if both parent and teen are going to make it out of the teenage years unscathed. Here is some advice that I wish my parents would have known while I was growing up.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. When your teenage daughter was an infant, you learned to distinguish her various needs by many tell-tale signals. The same can be said of your daughter now. Obviously, teenage girls are far more complex than small infants but the concept is still the same. It may actually help to write her behavior down in a notebook. This will help to familiarize yourself with her needs. Once you get accustomed, to reading her moods and body language, you can toss it away. Never let your teenager see this notebook as teens by nature will die of embarrassment. Teenage girls are difficult to understand, but eventually you will see a pattern in her behavior and respond accordingly.

2. Take an hour or two out of your day to sit with your teenage daughter and simply listen to her. Explain to her that this is her time, and you are not there to judge. Tell her that she may talk about any topic that she chooses. During this time, you may be able to gain insights into your daughter’s world. You may be able to help her cope with common issues such as violence at school, drugs, grades, or peer pressure just to name a few. Some parents fail to listen to their child and instead endure years of screaming matches in which neither side gets heard.

3. Young women can easily suffer crushing emotional blows during their teenage years. Self-esteem seems to be extremely fragile at this age. One of the major roles as a parent, is to build your daughter’s self-esteem. Praise her when she does well and compliment her often. This will help her feel as if she can accomplish anything that she desires.

4. Assist her in building a positive self-image. Many teens are concerned about their body and their weight. This can quickly spiral into harmful dieting habits and even into food disorders such as bulimia. If weight is a concern for your daughter, recruit the help of her physician. He can help to tailor an exercise regimen and a healthy menu that will keep your daughter at a normal weight for her age.

5. Your daughter needs to have a positive role model in her life. If the father is no longer a part of the family, find someone that will help to fill in this role. It is crucial that the males in her life treat her with respect, encourage her, and are there for moral support.
   This will set the high standards that she will be looking for when she gets older. If she has a male that shows her that women do not need to be respected, she will carry this feeling with her for years to come. Her future relationships will be littered with men that mistreat and abuse her.

6. Allow your daughter to retreat to her room if she wishes. Teenagers often spend time in their room listening to music and analyzing problems that they are facing.

7. Do not break the trust that you build with your daughter. We all make mistakes as we grow up. Teach her that she can learn from her mistakes and it isn't the end of the world.

8. Maintain a curfew at all times. This will help your daughter to establish a social life while also teaching her responsibility. It is her responsibility to make it home on time and make sure she is well aware of the consequences if she fails to do this.

Tips & Warnings

• Go to your local library or a bookstore and find books that will give you more tips on dealing with issues that teenagers face.
• Communication is the ultimate goal for parents and their teenagers.
• Remember what it was like to be a teenager.