There are three important things that, as a teenager, I feel are not given enough consideration in teenage girl-mother relationships.

Treat your daughter like a person, not an extension of yourself.

Realize that your daughter is not just an extension of your reputation and that whether she reveals this to you or not, she is mature and just about as mature as she is ever going to get. Just like other people, teenage girls are different and should obviously not all be treated the same way. People are always trying to come up with universal quick fix tips for teens, but a lot of advice is not universal. Keep in mind that different people react differently to different things. Though people are all similar, they are not all exactly the same. Of course, this is common sense, but it can be hard to keep this in mind.

Explain the possible consequences and allow for your daughter to make her own decisions when you can bear it.

I know it can be hard and most parents figure, why should I let her make this decision when it is so obviously wrong, but discuss your reasoning with her and ask if she will share her own. Maybe, you can make a compromise. Sometimes, she is just better off learning for herself. On top of that, she will start to realize the validity of your reasoning and take your opinion more to heart once she sees it in practice.

Help her to realize before she reaches her teen years that parents are just people.

Do not use this as an excuse or scapegoat, but try to help her see this before something important to her reveals it. I thought my parents were all-knowing and everything there could ever be and it was a hard let-down.

Also, keep in mind that open communication is not something you can turn off and on. If you ignore your daughter or push her away at just the wrong time because something is happening to you, you can really damage your relationship and her opinion of you, especially if you have generally had a pretty good relationship.

Just remember that she is a person. Maybe try to get into something she is interested in and build your relationship this way. Just always try to be consistent and try not to send mixed messages. This will really throw her off if she is trying to listen to you.

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