Navigating Teen Girlhood: What Parents Need to Know

Parents never find it easy dealing with teenhood in their daughter(s), unlike dealing with boys. Girls are delicate humans with emotional imbalances, which can appear in harsh words. Also, unlike boys, girls change faster and face more painful circumstances like menstruation. Their puberty starts appearing at a young age; thus, there are things they need to hear from their parents in dealing with these unprecedented changes. 

The world made it easier and harder to deal with these issues as a parent, but with proper usage, the tool can yield a mind-blowing result. Parents, especially mothers, must educate girls on grades, body growth, dating, and social media life. 

This post is designed to give you some tips on what you need to know as your daughter enters this challenging but exciting time in her life. So, read on, and happy parenting!

1. The Importance of Communication

Communication is vital in every aspect of life – business, relationships, work, etc. The tool is the best way to get into her life. However, make sure you have open communication. Parents need to communicate to build trust and dependence. 

Trust makes it possible to invade her privacy without quarrelling. During this phase, important things like her physical and emotional changes must be the topic, but not always. 

Always make sure that your growing teen feels heard, understood and seen. It is a good idea to find a meaningful gift that will make your daughter feel seen and that she’s in your thoughts. Also, you should be ready to answer questions that may trouble the teen. Remember that some of these questions may not be relevant to the topic.  

2. The Importance of Self-Esteem

Self-esteem is a feeling in everyone, but teen girls tend to overreact when it is breached. Parents intending to penetrate their daughter’s girlhood should keep in mind that girls go through a lot during this phase. They experience rapid physical and emotional changes, which may be difficult for them to understand. 

Teens who undergo difficult times may lose their self-esteem, which is a huge problem for a girl. Thus, the parent should be mindful of what they say to avoid breaching the gap. Parents that educate their daughter(s) on self-esteem are building a strong nation of women.  Also, a girl with solid self-esteem will have a flattering look in her image and a healthy sense of belonging.

3. The Importance of Friendship

Navigating teen girlhood will be harder without friendship. Friendship builds trust and togetherness. There are signs that they begin to exhibit during these times in their lives. Parents can get more information about their children from their child’s friends because girls rely on them for support. 

Good friendships will build strong and healthy relationships. This will help them know the difference between good and toxic relationships. In addition, they’ll be able to know who to trust and how to communicate with society. However, parents should observe their girls for toxic or unhealthy friendships among their peers. 

4. The Importance of Healthy Relationships

Relationships are essential to navigate girlhood. However, these friendships also bring unhealthy relationships that must be monitored to avoid picking up the wrong culture or behaviour. 

Generally, teens are influenced by their peers, popularly known as peer pressure. Some may pick up wrong behaviours, leading to medical or psychological problems. Parents are expected to mingle with them to pinpoint red flags the girl should be aware of. A healthy relationship is a broad topic that needs to be lectured to a girl child. A little unhealthy attitude can cost them a lot because of their fragileness.  

5. The Importance of Mental Health

Mental health is the best way to build a girl child. Girls with stable mental health grow up to be influential in work, business, or society. However, girls with stressed mental health usually struggle in life. 

Girls are fragile, making them vulnerable to mental disorders like stress and anxiety. Their girlhood is the appropriate time to lecture them on dealing with these problems. Failure to properly navigate this phase can lead to depression over time. There are signs that the girl starts developing that the parent should observe and report to the doctor. 

Conclusion

Navigating girlhood as a teen can be stressful; parents need to help lessen the burden. However, parents can only have a place in the girl’s life if they know what to focus on. This article has listed some important things to practice as parents to get a view of the girl’s life. The practice may take time, but it is effective in the end. You need to be patient and steadfast in dealing with the child’s physical and emotional changes.