How To Parent Teenager Daughters: 6 Tips & Strategies

Wondering how to parent teenage daughters? That’s the age old question, isn’t it? Being a parent can be tough, and there is no perfect answer to this question or really any other parenting question out there. But there are helpful and even crucial steps you can take.

The teenage years are complicated, and this can be especially true for teenage girls. As your daughter enters the years leading up to her adulthood, there is so much going on! Some of it will be amazing and some of it will be extremely difficult. According to the CDC, teenage girls are experiencing higher levels of sadness, alcohol use, and violence compared to teenage boys. These years are pivotal for her development and future!

Let’s talk about some valuable tips to help you navigate these years as best as you can.

What we’ll cover in this article:

1. Cultivating Open Communication
2. Setting Clear Boundaries
3. Being Empathetic
4. Independence and Confidence
5. Staying Informed and Engaged
6. Celebrating Achievements

Cultivating Open Communication

Communication is key to building a strong and trusting relationship with your teenage daughter. Create an environment where she feels comfortable expressing her thoughts, feelings, and concerns. One way of doing this is by listening actively without interrupting or dismissing her experiences, and validating her emotions even if you don’t always agree. Encourage open dialogue by being approachable and non-judgmental.

Ask questions, and if she is not up for talking at that moment, give her space. When she is ready to talk, make yourself available! If she does open up, try saying things like “thank you for sharing this with me” or “that sounds hard, what can I do to help you?” If she feels like you truly care and will listen without judging, she will be more likely to open up about the more serious stuff.

Related: Therapy for Moms

Setting Clear Boundaries with Teenage Daughters

While it’s essential to give your daughter some autonomy and independence, setting clear boundaries is equally important. Establish rules and expectations within your home and family. Decide where you want to establish rules; this might include things like curfew, screen time, academics, and chores. Be consistent with enforcement, but also be willing to negotiate and compromise when necessary. Explain the reasoning behind the rules, and involve your daughter in the decision-making process to foster a sense of responsibility and accountability.

There are four well known styles of parenting: authoritarian, authoritative, permissive, and uninvolved. It is widely accepted that the authoritative style of parenting is the sweet spot between being a dictator and being a total pushover. These types of parents are are loving, warm, and nurturing, while also having clear expectations and enacting discipline when needed. Studies show that this type of parenting results in kids who are competent, resilient, successful, confident, and respectful.

Read more about authoritative parenting here.

Being Empathetic

Perhaps some of your teen’s struggles seem silly or dramatic. That’s easy for you to say when you can see the big picture as their parent! Think back to when you were a teenager. Chances are, there were a lot of “silly” things that felt monumental to you at the time.

Practice empathy and understanding with your daughter. She is navigating things like complex emotions, peer pressure, identity formation, and academic stressors. Offer support and encouragement without being overly dismissive of her worries. Validate her experiences, and reassure her that it’s okay to make mistakes! The most important thing is that we learn from those mistakes.

Now, being empathetic does not mean you can’t help your teen see reason where it is needed. Do your best to find the balance between helping them be rational, and validating their very real feelings.

Independence and Confidence

Confidence is huge when it comes to teenage girls! Encourage your daughter to explore her hobbies and interests. Help inspire her to do things even when it seems scary, like trying out for a sports team or the school play. Support her dreams and compliment her often- not just on her physical characteristics.

You can also help your teenage daughter build resilience by allowing her to overcome obstacles and learn life lessons on her own while still being there to provide advice and support.

Staying Informed and Engaged

Knowing how involved you should be in your teens life can be tricky! You need to respect their privacy while also being aware of what is going on in their day to day life. The amount of freedom a teen can handle is different for everyone.

Let your daughter know that you care about her life! Ask her about her friends, her interests, and her views on different topics. Take an interest in the things that she cares about. Maintaining that open line of trustful communication is so important! Send texts to let your teen girl know you are thinking about her, wish her good luck on her next test, or wish her a great Wednesday.

Being engaged in your daughters life will also include some more “serious” conversations. Have an open dialogue about the kind of people and friendships she should be seeking out. Where its appropriate, don’t be afraid to discuss things like boundaries, consent, drugs and alcohol, and romantic relationships. Empower her to make informed choices!

Celebrating Achievements

Take the time to celebrate the little things- it can go a long way. Praise her for things like studying hard for a test, being nice to her sibling, or taking the dog on a walk. Celebrate milestones such as birthdays and celebrations to show your pride and support throughout her journey of life. Life is hard, and we could all use a bit more cheering on in the small moments.

Final Thoughts on How to Parent a Teenage Daughter

Being a teenage girl is a tumultuous journey filled with ups and downs, and the same can be said about being a parent.

Your daughters teenage years can be so pivotal for her future! Don’t let this stress you out too much; take it as an opportunity to help shape this person into someone who will live an amazing life. Through open communication, boundaries, empathy and involvement, you can help your teen gain the confidence and resilience she will need throughout her life.

If you are feeling lost and overwhelmed with parenting your teenage daughter, please reach out to us today!