Raise a strong independent daughter

There is always a raging debate about what gender is harder to raise, girls or boys. While that debate rages on, one thing is for sure — if you are having a girl, you want to raise a fierce, confident, positive daughter. This doesn’t mean making them a tomboy or avoiding letting them dress up as Elsa, Belle, or Snow White. There are plenty of ways to instill the characteristics of a strong independent daughter. Take a look below to see how you can implement them into your life.

Drop The Safety Net

Kids can learn by playing; it’s true. While at the park, don’t extend that safety net – let Sally swing a little too high or climb that tree.

By allowing her to take risks, she will learn how to cope with pressure while building faith in herself. She’ll learn quickly how far she can push herself, and what is and is not safe.

If you stop her from climbing those monkey bars that you don’t feel she’s ready for, it can actually hinder her confidence. A lack of confidence can lead to a lack of activity, increased anxiety, and even phobias!

Stress Inner Beauty

Too often in today’s society, people often get caught up with superficial beauty.

However, we should all remember that beauty is much more than just skin deep. It doesn’t matter what size, shape or colour a person is; everyone is beautiful in their own way. What truly makes a person ugly is their attitude and the way they treat others.

As they grow up, they will encounter other girls, typically at school, that will make them feel like they need to fit in and be accepted based on their outside beauty. You can help avoid this by teaching self-love; if they’re comfortable in their skin and don’t worry about what anyone else says, that’s a great way to avoid being pulled down by other girls.

Educate them to notice the beauty in others — a smile, a personality, and/or someone who is kind.

Set Them Up To Idolize Good Role Models

You want your daughter to look up to someone who is positive at influencing others, right?

Real life Princess, Kate Middleton is an excellent example. She doesn’t flaunt her fame, nor does she act entitled. In fact, she uses her fame in a positive way—she is heavily involved in charity work. Someone like Kim Kardashian might not be a positive role model for your child to look up to. She focuses too much on the opposite of our last topic – skin-deep beauty.

This article from the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry is a great way to pinpoint if the people your daughter is looking up to are the right people that she should be.

Schedule Daddy-Daughter Time

A father can make a world of difference in helping raise your daughter according to this Focus On The Family article.

One of the key points in the article is that fathers help build confidence! Most moms and dads have different parenting styles; a dad most of the time will take a more risky approach allowing their daughter to tackle obstacles, while a mom may step in. Other excellent points in the article include how fathers communicate and discipline differently from mothers.

Be sure to schedule daddy-daughter time for some quality one on one time. This can be a tea party or going to get ice cream shop together.

Teach Her That She Can Achieve Anything

She really can achieve anything, as long as she puts her mind to it.

Successful women didn’t accomplish what they set out to do by wishing or being handed what they wanted. No, they were successful because they worked hard and were determined!

If your daughter is a fan of the Harry Potter series, use author J.K. Rowling as an example of a successful woman who achieved her goals. Her Mom praised her writing from a young age; she had to work hard to achieve her goals of becoming a successful author.

This article from Pick The Brain has five great ways on how to teach them that they can achieve what they want. Don’t stand in the way of their dreams. A key thing to remember is not to hold their hand the entire way through what they’re trying to accomplish and be there for them if they ask for help.

Help them set a goal, and then create a plan from there.

There are many other ways that you can teach your daughter to be strong, independent, and fierce. Are you using a different method? Be sure to let us know.