7 Ways You’re Doing Long-Term Damage To Your Daughter

By Lillian Armstead

Girls are told to act and behave in a certain way when they are young. According to Forbes Magazine, this could demolish their overall self-esteem and their chances of overall success.  Here are some ways you could be hurting your daughter:

1.  Telling her to be courteous and quiet – this causes girls to feel insecure about speaking up in the classroom, with peers and even with her parents.  Telling girls to state their opinion will encourage them to be confident that their opinion matters.

2.  Buy her only feminine toys – by giving your girl only toys identified with the feminine side, she may have difficulty identifying with the masculine.  Expand her horizon by exposing her to male action figures, and G.I. Joe toys.

3.  Tell her she is pretty.  But never tell her she is intelligent, witty and creative – as often as you tell your daughter she is pretty – tell of her intelligence, wit and creativity.

4.  You lead her to believe she can’t do anything for herself – engage her in adventurous events like biking, hiking, and other activities where she can see her endurance skills put to the test.  Allow her to take on challenging opportunities.  Giving her opportunities to overcome in different situations, allows her to see her strength and endurance.

5.  Letting dad perform all the masculine chores – this demonstrates that she is not capable of taking out trash, or raking the leaves in the yard. Allow her to participate in various chores.  On the other hand, allow her to see dad washing dishes, and performing laundry duties.

6.  She only spends time with her girlfriends – this could lead her to a segregated process of establishing friendships.  Engage her in activities that broaden her scope and horizon with the male population – like martial arts, sports, and other social clubs.

7.  You are not happy with yourself – when your daughter sees your unhappiness with your life, your job and your body, she exudes the same level of dislike for herself.   Exemplify health, fitness and happiness to your daughter and she will follow in your footsteps.