20 things moms must do for their girls everyday

If you have daughters, this is an essential read. What are the things girls need from their mothers? Practice responsible parenting and find out here!

20 Things girls need from their mothers

When it comes to daughters, us moms have an advantage – we know what it’s like to be a young girl. We’ve been in their shoes and we know how to prepare them to face the world.

If you don't know how to go about this, you can start by reading this list which is essential for all moms with daughters. Keep reading to know the most important things girls need from their moms.

She needs to know she is beautiful

Your daughter needs to know she is beautiful without having to look into a mirror or get an opinion from another person. Praise her amazing qualities. Positive affirmations do wonders to build self-esteem!

She needs you to be her confidante

Your daughter needs to know that you are always there to hear her out and be on her side. Tell her you’ve got her back no matter what the world throws at her because you knew her first and you know her best!

She needs to know you’ve been in her shoes

Bringing up girls will be much easier if they know that you've "been there" too. Tell your daughter stories from your past, without sugarcoating it so much.

It is OK to tell her that you made mistakes, and it is OK for her to make her own mistakes.

But let her know that it is truly admirable if she can learn from her own mistakes and the mistakes of others.

She needs to know her self-worth

Tell her that there’s so much more to beauty than what meets the eye. Teach her to see beauty in others as well as herself.

Teach her that she needs to know and love who she is before modelling her life after another’s.

She needs to know about her body

You are the best person to talk to your daughter about her changing body. Give her plenty of information about how it works, how to take care of it and how to protect it.

She needs you to talk to her about sex

Talk to your daughter about sex before anyone else does. You can start early with age-appropriate, open talks about "good touch" and "bad touch."

As she grows, keep the open conversations going and she won’t cringe or roll her eyes when you try and talk to her about sex.

Also, let her know that you can answer any question she has on the subject.

She needs you to be her mom, not her friend

Talking about everything and having open conversations with your daughter doesn’t mean you must agree with everything she says or does.

Remember, you don’t have to always be the ‘good guy’ to guide her in the right direction.

She needs you to spend quality time with her

Take time away from your busy schedule to get to know your daughter.

Remember that she won’t stay the same forever. She may like princesses one day, butterflies the next... then boys before you know it!

So make the effort to go through her various phases and interests with her.

You can also use this quality time to let her get to know you better. Show her that mom has a fun side and secretly loves sparkly, glittery things as well.

She needs you to believe in her dreams

Daughters need their moms to believe in them and their dreams. Your encouragement will mean the world to her.

Help her cope with the disappointment of dreams not realized. She needs to know that not every dream is going to come true and we need to be resilient to get over disappointments, and move on.

She needs you to let her be a child

Let her enjoy her childhood doing things kids do... playing make-believe, getting messy with paints, running around in the playground and even being silly!

She needs to know she is loved

Unconditional love comes naturally to us moms, and there’s nobody better to show our daughters what love is.

Tell her you love her as many times as you can. Show her that, with the right person, physical affection is not a bad thing.

It is also OK for her to see you and your husband sharing a quick kiss or a cuddle. Give her enough affection so she won’t look for it outside your home.

She needs to know how to be a well-rounded woman

Through your example, show her all the wonderful qualities women possess and how to use them in the right instances.

Show her the importance of being firm when it comes to standing up for herself and what she believes in, and also be gentle at the same time.

She needs you to teach her good manners

The best way to teach your daughter good manners is through example.

Show her the importance of being polite when trying to get what she wants, to never be too proud to say she’s sorry, and to be gracious and thankful when she receives something.

She needs you to show her how to appreciate the little joys in life

Never be too busy to dance like nobody is watching, laugh out loud, say "I love you" or admire the beautiful flowers outside your window.

Show your daughter that the little joys in life can really make us happier people.

She needs you to teach her about respect

She needs to know how to first respect herself and then be respectful of others. Treat her with respect and she will definitely reciprocate the gesture.

She needs to know you have feelings too

You don’t have to always hide your feelings when you are hurt, angry or sad.

Show your daughter that it is OK to cry, as it helps you deal with certain situations life may hurl at you. It also makes her aware that others have feelings too, and that we should be sensitive to them.

She needs you to teach her to appreciate what she has

Show her that she is blessed with so many beautiful things that many other people cannot afford. Teach her to value and not waste what she has, and to be generous at the same time.

She needs to know how to make the right choices

The only way you can do this is by being at her side, gently guiding her in what she does.

As she matures, let her make her own decisions and stand by her, trying your hardest not to tell her what to do.

Tell her that there are always consequences to the choices we make and that we should think things through wisely.

She needs to know the importance of being healthy and fit

Show your daughter how you take care of yourself by eating right and exercising.

Explain to her that you need to be healthy to take care of her (and her siblings, if she has any) and that she needs to eat nutritious food to have a healthy mind and body.

Follow suit with showing her how to choose food wisely and to stop eating when she is full.

She needs to know the importance of faith

Whatever religion or belief you follow, teach your daughter that faith can move mountains.

Be it faith in others, faith in a divine being or in herself, her faith can guide her in the right direction throughout her life!

This article was originally published in: theAsianparent.com Singapore

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Written by

Minoli Almeida

English