by Chrissy Linn

Created on: January 09, 2009

Daughters are... Vacillating, Unpredictable, and Vulnerable all at the same time. Especially those teenage daughters.

They will fight, argue, and clash over absolutely anything a parent does for them, whether it be buy them a car (It was the wrong color and model), handmake them a Christmas card instead of buy one (They were being cheap of forgetful), or bail them out of a risky situation like a wild party or a run-in with the police (You weren't letting them be independent).

Parents are wrong, always will be, and always have been, no matter what. But girls aren't dumb, and for the most part, they have respect. They know when their parents truly care. Young girls feel it, and older girls are smart enough to recognize it. There are some small things parents can do for their unpredictable, ungrateful, ravenous daughters that prove that they are not "out of touch" and can surely be worth thanking (even if it isn't until the daughter is in her thirties...)

For young daughters, before turning 10 years old, it's important to take her to places she wants to go. If she's seven and wants to go to the park on a Saturday afternoon, take her. Go with her, watch her on the swings, go down slides with her, bring a ball or the dog, anything. Not only will she be glad you gave her a great day, but she could be gaining good habits like wanting to be energized and outdoors. Fun outside the home are great ways to build memories with your daughter, before she slips into the "Don't talk to me" stage.
For girls of this age group, it's also important to make something with her, like a craft. One idea is to make paper dolls. Cut out cardboard-dolls (Kind of shaped like a gingerbread man would be.) Find all sorts of things like little pom-poms, glue, glitter, scrap fabric, yarn, etc. and invite her to make little doll. Both of you, decorate your cardboard people. Make sure your doll resembles her. She will love it if her mom or dad made a doll just for her. Her doll can be whatever she wants it to be, so don't criticize it. Save the creations somewhere special so she can look at them years down the road.

Once a girl hits the "tween" stage (around ten to 13), beware. She's confused, maybe she isn't popular and it drives her nuts, maybe she's going through puberty and feels like a giant compared to boys, and maybe she's being pressured into questionable things. Don't ignore her or the things she says; whatever she lets you know about her life is important, so listen carefully. Don't pressure

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