You may be reading this, and your daughter is at an age where she’s not a little girl anymore, but she’s not a teenager either. She still needs your help with lots of things, but she’s also very independent. As a mother, you’re proud that she’s grown up and matured to be at that stage in her young life, but you’re still waiting for those moments where she will genuinely need you, because you are the only one who can help her.

 

That time certainly does come for all mothers and daughters. It may not come when you want, or when you’re fully prepared to deal with it, but it will come nevertheless. It can be anything from helping her pick out an outfit for her school’s dance, or styling her hair with products like Lion Locs because she doesn’t know how to do it. No matter how big or small the need is, the need is still there, and moments like that are what you live for.

As your daughter gets older, she’ll soon start to realize just how important your role is as her mother. She’ll see that yes, you brought her into the world, and you wash her clothes, but one day something will click in her, and she’ll really see you as more than just her mom. You’re probably impatient for that moment to arrive, and for you and your daughter to grow even closer, but be patient. You’ll be ready when that day comes, but until then, just be prepared to help her in these key areas during her adolescent years!

Homework

Homework is not a favorite for most kids anyway, and it isn’t especially great for parents either. The difficult thing about homework, for a parent, is that you weren’t in the class with them, so when they come home and don’t understand the assignment, they may not expect you to be able to help them.

There are certain subjects you probably still remember from your younger days of being in a K12 Online Private School, but certain things will just completely be beyond your tutoring capabilities. That’s when you need to call in the big guns, including after school sessions, or perhaps even a private tutor. As a parent, you don’t have to know everything, and if there’s something you don’t know, there’s nothing wrong with finding someone who does. If your child is about to go to college, you may also find them a college admissions consultant to help start their college journey properly. This will prove particularly helpful in making a decision, especially if she has expressed any long-term specialization plans, like getting a masters degree for example.

Friendships

Helping your daughter through the highs and lows of friendship makes perfect sense. You’ve “been there, and done that”  through your experience of gaining and losing friends, so you’re the perfect person for her to talk to about her friendships.

She’ll learn quickly that you have true friends, and then you have seasonal friends. Seasonal friends are only there for a certain amount of time, under certain conditions (think your “wild night out” friends), whereas true friends will be there for you in the good times and bad.

Friends can be tricky, especially those seasonal ones. Being young, she’ll definitely care what everybody thinks of her, and she’s bound to run into “friends” who will really aren’t her friends. Those friendships can have damaging effects in the long run, and can lead to trauma and social anxiety. Luckily, she has you to help through it all.

Boys

As a mom, you also have experience in this area too. It’s a happy time for you, but a sad one as well, because she’s growing up. It’s both cute and funny at the same time because you can think back to when she was younger and remember how she hated boys, and boys were gross. Now, she has a little crush on someone. It’s fun for you because she’s always been a cute little girl, but now that you know she has a crush, you can really make excuses to buy her the cute little outfits that girls love, which will really impress that fine young man.

Even though she will think this kid is the love of her life, he will, of course, come and go, but at least you’re there to be that shoulder for her to cry on. You can best believe your shoulder will be cried on more than once as she gets older, but while she’s not too cool to come to you for help, take advantage of these moments to bond with her as much as you can!