And I know all about wanting to do this right.

Wanting to do right by her. My first born.

And also, her. My second born. Because the universe sent me two.

As a therapist for the last 12+ years, working primarily with women and mother/daughter relationships, I know how important it is to us that we have strong relationships with our daughters.

I know how much we want to resource them and guide them. To give them a non-negotiable sense of their self-worth. To give them the reassurance and internal strength that could help them through difficult times.

But let’s be real - our daughters don’t want to listen to us. And this moment arrived sooner than many of us were prepared for. They take in what we model, but they don’t necessarily want to take in what we teach.

But I believe there is a way for us to have a strong and positive influence on our girls, a way to lend our wisdom and guidance without lecturing them. And I am absolutely certain there is a way to maintain a strong relationship with our daughter through all the robust growth periods of her life.