How to raise a teenage daughter

It's improtant to listen to her and be understanding. But also be strict and give her limits. Naturally she is her own person and needs freedom, but not too much freedom. There needs to be a balance. And she should feel like she can always be honest with you and tell you anything without it being a problem. And that you will be understanding and help her make decisions that are best for her.

I recommend to always be there for her, no matter how hard the situation may get. She will appreciate it later, but during the process, its the best thing to do. be here for her.

Given the choice I would rather raise 5 sons than to raise one daughter. My two boys did not give me much problem but my two adopted daughters are giving a hell lot of problems. Maybe I am not destined to have daughters.

Pat- They are definitely a work of their own are they not? I would agree that one of the most important things is to keep an open line of communication with your daughter. If she feels free to speak to you on any subject she'll be more likely to approach you about the really difficult topics of life. I will say that I feel all children even teens need routine. They look to parents to set the schedule. So, to have reasonable curfews, homework checks, and so forth is appropriate. It doesn't mean that we need to ride them, but to keep it open such as "What are you working on tonight" and such seems to open up the dialogue for projects and/or problems. And I tend to avoid "When I was in school..." stories. They irritated the heck out of me when I was a teen so I try not to do it with mine. I also keep in mind that my children are very different. I have children ages 2 to 18, and my two oldest are both girls. They are world opposites when it comes to everything. I have to keep that in mind when offering up advise. Even I am still learning though so I've pulled a few websites with some great articles on them to add for extra reading and help on the topic. Best wishes and Namaste- Anora The following are not referral links, they are articles on raising teen daughters: http://life.familyeducation.com/teen/girls-self-esteem/34454.html http://www.byparents-forparents.com/ http://www.parentteen.com/parentingteenagegirls.html

hi pat, treating her like a friend yet she should know boundaries and respect. you need to listen openly to her. she will need an understanding parent not someone who is judgmental and closed minded. everyone wants to be loved and especially teenagers. they want to know people love them unconditionally hence appreciate things about her whenever you can. it maybe difficult to admit that she is becoming an adult and surely will want things like more independence. you can give her these things without her moving out bu giving her more responsibilities within the house. have a nice day. ann

The most important thing in my opinion would be that you need to be a friend to your daughter as well as being a disciplinarian. This was the way that my mother was when I was a teenager and I think that I was able to avoid a lot of the problems that other girls would go through than most of my friends that didn't have the same kind of relationship with their mother. I am yet to have a teenager of my own, but I do distinctly remember that the relationship that I had with my mother was one of my favorite things about my teenage years.

Remember that even though she sounds and acts amazingly mature and smart sometimes, she's sensitive and insecure and needs a lot of validation. She needs independence and she needs boundaries. And they are all different, so there will be a lot of playing it by ear.

hello savy, I had a 16 years old daughter and,i can say that we had a very good relationship,not just a mother-daughter relationship,but also as friends. I try to know about her likes (well,i know her likes and interests since she's a baby). Same thing with my sons,as they also get's into adulthood (aged 14 and 11) It's not easy to become a mother and their friend as well,but,i need to. Just need some adjustment to dance with their music and sing with their songs. have a good day

I still fall under the "teenage daughter" category, since I am only eighteen, but even so, I'd like to give advice from the daughter's point of view. I think communication is vital. A lack of communication between me and my mother resulted in me developing a self injury problem in the past, that went unnoticed for three years. If you think your daughter is having any problems, be them at home, work, or school, try to talk to her about them. Give the girl some privacy. I think it goes without saying that kids like having their own room, and being able to be alone is sometimes good for them; it gives them time to listen to music, watch TV and do homework peacefully. If she's interested in college or joining the military, talk with her about it, and give her some advice. If she's planning on college, help her find scholarships, fill out the FAFSA (usa), and look at your options. It's a good thing to know in advance whether or not your daughter will need to apply for a student loan. Tell her what to expect in the future. I think that pretty much covers key points, but plan on some arguing too. Sometimes, us teenagers feel as though our parents don't understand us. :D