March marks the month we celebrate Women’s History Month. This is a month to recognize the countless successes women have achieved﹘their discoveries, contributions, and tireless work ethic that has helped shape our modern world. If you have a teenage daughter, you undoubtedly see an enormous amount of power and potential within her. As much as we’d like to protect them from all the evils of world, it’s important for us as parents to empower our daughters, so they may grow to be confident, independent humans full of purpose.
Here are a few ways you can help empower your teenage daughter to live her best life.
- Set her up for success. It’s hard to know what to do when you see your child struggling. If they are lashing out or doing poorly in school, what path do you take? Do you put your foot down and insist that they do things your way? Or, do you find a way around the challenges they face?
The answer is neither. It’s important to set realistic goals for your daughter that tackle the challenges that life inevitably presents. Rather than demand perfection, ask for a small improvement. That way you are setting your daughter up to succeed, face her problems, and gradually improve over time﹘ all of which are very empowering!
- Call on your community. Knowing that you have an entire community of people backing you up is extremely empowering. Getting involved in your community and creating a strong support system builds confidence and can give teens a sense of purpose.
If there is person that your daughter is naturally drawn to (who is also a positive influence), encourage her to spend time with that person. They can be a mentor who lends an unbiased ear or outside perspective during situations where a family member is too close to the issue.
- Encourage self-motivating activities. Motivation comes from within. You can’t force someone into being motivated to do something. When trying to foster a sense of motivation in your child, look for things that they are motivated to do on their own.
Does your daughter love learning new songs on the guitar? Maybe there’s a subject she likes to research or read about. Remember this could be something like how to apply makeup or a television show. Encourage that spark, so she can see the value in her motivation.
- Build Her Up. Lastly, always be a source of unconditional love and support for your child. It can be easy to focus on the obstacles you and your daughter are facing, but never let her forget that you are here to help her through life’s challenges, joys, and in-between places.
Happy Women’s History Month!
