It is the responsibility of mothers and caregivers to establish close attachments and relationships with our girls as early as possible, particularly by the age of six. The daughter’s need for her mother’s love is primal, even if that woman is physically or emotionally absent.
There are six key tips for building self-efficacy and everlasting close relationships:
- Demonstrate and model your values from which she will build her own personal values.
- Set clear, consistent, boundaries while allowing her to earn privileges as she demonstrates her trustworthiness.
- Teach your daughter patience, how to care about others, and how to give without resentment.
- Give her plenty of opportunities to ask questions. Answer them honestly. Your responses will help to guide her decision making.
- Show her how to embrace failure and learn from her mistakes.
- Know where she is 24 hours of the day. Respect her as a human being. Love her with all your heart.
Dr. Samantha Coleman is an award-winning visionary leader, educator, and counselor who has made it her life’s work to provide young women the tools and resources they need in order to be fully empowered and game changers of the new millennium. As the founder and Executive Director of Assist Her, Inc., an Illinois non-profit organization that provides prevention, literacy, and mentoring programs to girls ages 10-18, Coleman has serviced over 2,000 females in the Chicagoland area since 2005.