Today is the 2nd Annual International Day of the Girl! I am wondering if you can relate to any of the following concerns when it comes to parenting your daughter…
- Do you ever get frustrated by your pre-teen daughter’s attitude?
- Are you unsure about how to discuss sensitive issues as your daughter goes through puberty?
- Do you sometimes feel frustrated by your daughter?
- Are you uncertain about how to get help if your daughter is facing a difficult situation?
If any of this sounds familiar, you are in the right place. As a health educator, speaker, and success coach for young women and girls, I have had the opportunity to advise countless parents and daughters about many issues that girls face as they navigate through the pre-teen and teen years. And as you can imagine, I have received my share of questions from overwhelmed, frustrated and confused mothers.
Research shows that building a strong relationship with your daughter can help her thrive during adolescence. So in honor of International Day of the Girl, I would like to share a few quick tips about mother-daughter communication (much of my advice is relevant for fathers, too!).
In the videos below, radio host Jennifer Keitt (The Jennifer Keitt Show, Kiss 104, Atlanta) interviewed me about common challenges mothers face during the pre-teen and teen years. I released the first video on Mother’s Day, and I hope you learn something useful from the remaining videos to help you navigate your daughter’s adolescence with confidence and grace (and hopefully without pulling your hair out).
Ask Dr. Carla – Episode 1: Help for Mothers of Pre-Teen Girls Who Are Testing Their Authority
In this video, I discuss how to deal with tweens with attitude and how your parenting style may affect your relationship with your daughter.
Ask Dr. Carla – Episode 2: Advice for Mothers of Pre-Teen Daughters Going Through Puberty
In this episode, I provide a few tips for mothers of pre-teen daughters and share what happened when I asked my mother to buy me a bra when I was in the fourth grade! And in case you’re wondering what happened after that, I ended up “borrowing” my older sister’s bra, sneaking it to school, and stuffing it with cotton balls (I looked ridiculous because I only used one unnaturally round cotton ball in the middle of each cup), but that’s a story for another blog post!
Ask Dr. Carla – Episode 3: Help for Mothers Who Are Experiencing Conflict With Their Daughters
In this episode, I discuss how you can begin to build a stronger relationship with your daughter and what you can do to encourage her to come to you when she has a sensitive question or problem.
Ask Dr. Carla – Episode 4: Help for Mothers When Their Daughter is Facing a Difficult Situation
In this episode I share advice about what to do when you don’t know what to do!
Are you interested in working with me to better understand and improve your relationship with your daughter?
Are you interested in find out more about enrolling your daughter in my private or group coaching programs?
Find out how you can help your daughter build confidence and make healthy choices by enrolling her in one of my life-changing coaching programs for pre-teen (ages 9-12) and teen girls (ages 13-19)!
How you can help empower girls
I hope you will join me in helping girls reach their full potential. Even if you are not currently involved in girl empowerment efforts, here are three ways you can help:
- Volunteer your time to girl-serving organizations
- Mentor a girl
- Donate to organizations that educate and empower girls. As the founder of Helping Our Teen Girls In Real Life Situations, Inc. (HOTGIRLS)®, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the health and lives of underserved young women and girls, I know first-hand that it can be challenging to raise funds for girl empowerment organizations. I encourage you to contribute financially to support the important work of girl empowerment organizations in your community that are working to positively impact the lives of girls.
More information about International Day of the Girl
- To learn more about global Day of the Girl efforts, visit UN’s International Day of the Girl or for U.S. efforts, visit dayofthegirl.org
- Subscribe to my email newsletter to receive tips and resources for educators and girl-serving professionals and updates about my upcoming events, projects, and programs for girls.
- The Coalition for Adolescent Girls and Girls Count Report on Adolescent Girls
- “Half the Sky” by Nicholas Kristoff and Sheryl Wudunn
- Girl Up
Spread the word…
I hope that my blog will reach parents, concerned adults and girls around the world — especially those who are unable to coach with me or attend my live speaking events. If you liked this video, please invite your friends and colleagues to watch and subscribe to my email newsletter! If you know a parent of a teen girl who could benefit positively from my professional guidance, I would love it if you would direct them to my web site.
I would love to hear your thoughts!
Leave a comment below or visit me on Facebook!