4 Crucial Lessons a Mother Needs to Teach Her Daughter While She’s Still a Little Girl

Spending sleepless nights by her crib, comforting her whenever she’s feeling low, and supporting her in whatever she’s up to — there are a lot of things that a loving mother does for her little princess. One of the most important missions a girl’s mom has is teaching her daughter meaningful life lessons that can help her become a stronger and happier adult.

Here at Bright Side we’ve looked through writings from parenting experts to find out what the life lessons are that a girl should learn from her mother while she’s still little, and here are 4 of them.

1. Help her realize that “no” is always an acceptable answer.

Most parents teach their children to be polite and respect other people, while choosing the best words to express their feelings and not offend others. This is the right thing to do, of course, but we also need to teach our children to clearly say “no” when they mean it.

Unfortunately, many children are subject to all kinds of abuse from psychological to physical, all over the world. Experts believe that teaching your child to say “no” is crucial to ensure their safety. Talking through different life scenarios where your daughter may need to state a clear and firm “no” can help you expressly show her when it’s totally alright to say “no,” without having to give an explanation.

2. Teach her to appreciate her beauty and be a good role model yourself.

According to experts, one of the reasons why little girls can become dissatisfied with their bodies and their appearance is when they have a mom who’s overly concerned with her own weight. As a consequence, the daughters of these mothers may start feeling ashamed of their bodies, which can lead to low self-esteem, eating problems, and even depression.

So, whenever you are about to say out loud that you’ve gained some extra weight and are looking “awful,” in the presence of your little girl, think about how it could affect her self-esteem. Instead, try to find something to praise your body for and set a good example for your daughter to follow.

3. Tell her it’s totally alright to ask for help.

The positive image of a strong woman who can do anything has been around for many years now. But sometimes asking for help is just necessary, while doing it can be a problem for a little kid. Some kids get frustrated easily and they tend to give up too soon, thinking that they simply can’t do better. Others, on the contrary, are true perfectionists and they won’t ask for help from an adult, causing a loop of them trying and failing, and experiencing unnecessary suffering.

Try to explain to your daughter that asking for help is not a sign of being weak or incompetent, it’s just a sign of being human. You can use this guide, that was developed by clinical psychologist Eileen Kennedy-Moore, to choose the best strategy to teach your daughter when and how to ask for help.

4. Teach her to create her own happiness instead of searching for it.

Low self-esteem can lead to a situation where a person will constantly look for approval and love from other people in order to feel happy. In the long term, this can lead to harmful co-dependent relationships, where one partner becomes completely dependent on the needs of the other one and continues making sacrifices.

Try to help your daughter realize that she is enough and can create her own happiness and that the source of high self-esteem and confidence lies inside her and not in the outside world. Parenting experts highlight several habits and actions that are directly linked to happiness, and they recommend we try to encourage our kids to stick to these habits and actions in daily life:

• Positive thinking
• Practicing gratitude and appreciating the things we do for each other
• Having fun
• Finding joy in everyday things
• Regular exercise and healthy eating

Whatever lessons you’re trying to teach your children, remember that they will model your attitude and behavior, so being a good role model yourself is very important.

Do you have children? Which important life lessons did you teach them when they were still little? What life lessons have your children taught you?