Parenting a teenage daughter can be tough at times. There are lots of challenges parents need to face while parenting a teen daughter, as they behave stubbornly at this age. Dealing with a teenage daughter is comparatively more difficult than dealing with a teenage son, as girls are more strong-headed than boys. It comes with more problems and hardships. Teenage girls are strong headed, spirited, and smart. They insist on their own opinions, and they often show resistance to the things they don’t like. They have their own opinions and deep feelings. They undergo mood swings and develop a sense of independence through their teen years.
So, in this case, it can be quite challenging for parents to deal with their strong-headed teen girls. They can show resistance to their parent’s thoughts. As a result, parents become frustrated due to their teens’ behavior. Many parents face different challenges while dealing with their teenage daughters. They found it difficult to raise their child during the teen years. Here’s a guide for you to deal with your teenage daughter.
Understanding your teen daughter
1. Physical and hormonal changes due to puberty
As in the teenage years, girls start to undergo different physical and hormonal changes. This stage brings frequent mood changes and new experiences into a girl’s life. The changes in girls started to occur from 11 to 18 years old. In these years, they started to develop physically as well as mentally. They develop their own thoughts. You can say that a girl begins to transform into a woman in her teenage years. They also undergo hormonal changes that result in mood swings, increased anxiety levels or feelings of loneliness. Girls started gaining consciousness about their physical appearance, body image and sense of dressing. Parents, especially mothers, should try to be friendly with their teen daughters and guide them through these changes.
2. Emotional turbulence
Researchers tried to study the emotional behavior of children in their teenage years. Teenagers used to report their mood swings and emotional updates online through a survey daily. This research was carried out on 500 adolescents. According to the research, teens aged 13 to 18 undergo more emotional changes. Teens in the early stages of adolescence have a variety of mood swings. They often become frustrated with small things, and they act weird without an appropriate reason. Moreover, teen girls feel extreme variations in happiness and sadness. They become emotional about small things. Parents need to provide them with a platform to express their emotional stuff and console them.
3. Effects of adolescence on behavior
Understanding your teen daughter can be really difficult at times. As your daughters enter their teenage years, they start developing a sense of independence. They start to feel like the center of the universe and develop their own opinions about things. Sometimes they oppose their parents’ thoughts. They start reacting irrationally toward their parents. Sometimes they bump heads with their parents and act rudely toward them. They often throw tantrums over small things. Parents need to behave patiently in this condition. They should not take their teen’s rude behavior to heart.
4. Social aspects and peer pressure
As girls enter their teenage years, they feel social pressure on them. People start to hold them accountable for their activities. They sometimes feel judgemental. At this age, they care more about their social image and often care for their body maintenance.
Girls start to behave like others or according to others sometimes at this age. They come under the influence of other people and start to act like them, even if they don’t want to. Peer pressure causes them to do certain things, even if they don’t desire to do them. Sometimes they can come under the wrong influence and down the wrong path. Parents need to show them the right direction. They need to make their children aware of these things.
5. Self-discovery and forming their own identity
As girls enter their teenage years, they start to strive for independence. They learn to take their own responsibility, forming their own values. They start to make their own decisions according to their minds. Sometimes they don’t even feel the necessity of obtaining the consent of their parents when making decisions. They start to act as if they are all one. Calmness is the only way to behave with them as parents. Even if teen daughters start to feel independent, they are still inexperienced and require parents to guide them. Parents should try to give them a sense of rationality and proper direction during the teen years.
Some tips to deal with your teen daughter
1. Establish open lines of communication.
Communication is the key that acts as the glue in parents and teen daughters’ relationships. Parents should try to openly communicate with their teen daughters. Communication gives you access to knowing the condition of your daughters in their lives. It can help you know what’s going on in their life. Open communication will provide a platform for your teen daughters to express the things going on in their heads. It will encourage them to express their feelings and put them in front of you.
2. Let them express themselves and choose to listen.
Parents should often show interest in what their teens are telling them. They should focus on listening to their opinions and thoughts. They should give them access to express their feelings or put their feelings into words. Don’t overreact to the things they tell you. Try to behave calmly. They should provide their teens with a non-judgmental environment so that they can express themselves without hesitating. In this way, your teen daughters will tell you everything that’s happening with them, and they will not need to hide anything from you.
3. Set some basic rules and establish boundaries.
You should set some basic rules for them through mutual discussion with your teen daughter. You should express your intention behind setting those rules clearly through conversation so that they don’t get you wrong. You should tell them what’s right and wrong and the consequences behind the wrong things. For example, you may set the rule that they should not go out after 9 p.m. Tell them the dangers in the world and how it can be harmful for them to go out after 9 p.m. alone.
You should set the necessary rules, but don’t try to restrict them. You should give them space as well. Avoid giving punishment if they break any rule. This can cause rebellion in their minds opposite to yours. You can explain things clearly and nicely instead.
4. Respect their privacy with parental involvement.
You should show your teen daughter that you are interested in and involved with her activities. But you should respect her privacy as well. For example, avoid checking her mobile phones in front of them. This will create a conflict between you two, and it will destroy your bond. Knock before you enter her room. This will give her a sense of trust, and they will believe you.
5. Build trust and enhance your connection with them.
Trust is an important factor in any relationship. Trust your child and give them a supportive, non-judgmental environment. This will help to develop a sense of trust towards you in them. Trust will help you make your connection stronger with your teen daughter.
6. Spend quality time together.
Try to make time for your teen and participate in different activities such as playing, swimming, or going shopping with them. Spending quality time together will help you both feel attached to each other.
7. Encourage a sense of independence and decision-making skills in them.
Encourage your daughter to become independent and make small decisions about their lives like fashion, their friends circle, the educational fields they want to pursue, or the university they wish to attend, through mutual discussion with you. You should appreciate their decisions and provide your guidance whenever necessary, as they lack experience in making the right decisions.
8. Become supportive of your daughter.
Act as a supportive parent in your daughter’s life. Support their decisions and respect their opinions, even if they are different from yours. Provide them emotional and mental support and guide them through their difficult times.
9. Balance arguments and disagreements.
You should be aware that your teen can have different opinions as per their perspective regarding certain things. Don’t try to force your thoughts on them. There should be disagreements sometimes on any decision between you and them. Accept their opinions and try to discuss things with them. Solve your arguments and conflicts by having a nice and clear conversation.
10. Promote healthy habits and make them aware of self-care.
Give rise to healthy habits in your teenage daughter. For example, such as going to bed early, getting up early, doing exercise or yoga, etc. with your teen daughter. Try to include healthy substances such as green leafy vegetables, protein-rich dishes, cereals, and pulses in their diet. Make them aware of self-care and skin care. This will help to stabilize their emotions and stimulate healthy mental health.
11. Seek professional help if necessary.
Teen daughters often throw tantrums many times. If you feel like they are really acting very stubborn, then seek professional help. You can take them to the councilor.
Raising a teen daughter can sometimes be tougher as compared to parenting a teen son. It contains more challenges and problems. Teenage daughters are strong headed and tough to deal with. They undergo different physical and hormonal changes at this age, which results in mood swings and acting irrationally. Parents need to remain calm and act patiently with their teenage daughters. They need to adapt to new changes and adjust them accordingly. Parents should guide their teens and give them proper direction at this age. After time passes, they will remember the memories of this time and the time they spent with their teens. They will develop a non-breakable emotional bond with their teen daughter during this time. At Delhi Public School Warangal, recognised as the top best boarding school in Warangal, we understand the importance of nurturing such relationships and supporting parents in their journey of parenting teenagers.