01/06/2023
4 THINGS PARENTS OF TEENAGE GIRLS NEED TO KNOW
As the parent of a teenage girl, you may wonder what is truly going on in your daughter's mind, not to mention her life. This is a crucial time of development when teenage girls are starting to spread their wings and look towards the future.
In her new book, "L Platers," author Madonna King consulted the opinions of 1,000 girls aged 16-18, along with parents, educators, and healthcare professionals, about what teenage girls worry about and need the most.
Here are some insights the author wants to share with you - parents of teenage girls:
1. Be ready to listen.
There is so much we can do as parents to support teenage girls as they grow into young women. At age 14, teenage girls often feel that their parents, especially their mothers, seemingly cannot understand their lives. Our role, as parents and educators, is to listen. Listen. Listen. Listen.
2. Let them fail.
This will improve their confidence, independence, and even encourage their leadership skills. Parents want their children to win, succeed, and shine, which is understandable. However, every failure is a lesson that helps them succeed.
3. Mental health is a significant challenge.
This includes eating disorders, self-harm, excessive worry, school refusal, and depression. All of these issues are on the rise among teenage girls, with some psychologists reporting waiting lists lasting over 12 months. In some cases, girls explain that they can't seek help because their parents "don't believe in that."
Therefore, what parents need to do here is to have more conversations with their daughters, put themselves in their shoes to understand, and foster trust and open communication so that their daughters feel loved and supported.
4. Social media is still an issue.
We need to acknowledge that, after the Covid-19 pandemic, both we and our children have significantly increased our time spent on social media. Consequently, girls in this age group are more prone to getting caught up in social media and have a higher risk of exposure to unhealthy information. What parents need to do here is to accompany their daughters, teach them how to filter information by engaging in conversations and sharing the issues they might encounter instead of prohibiting and triggering their rebellious thinking.