10 Things to Know About Parenting Girls

I was Christmas shopping for my sons at an outlet mall. I have two teen boys and a college-man coed. My store options were Adidas, Under Armour, Nike, and other jock retails. After the first round of purchasing basketball shorts and swoosh t-shirts, I was bored.

I slipped into a co-ed fashion shop, gravitating **towards things pink and fun.** My mind quickly flashed-back ten years when shopping for my thirteen year old daughter. Being the firstborn, only girl, **pink-hyper-girlness was my life** for years. How different different our life is now.

I stood there thinking **how different it is parenting girls and boys.** I watch the differences morph before my eyes as a school counselor to tweens. Girls have different needs than boys. If you're a parent of teen girls, here are **10 things you need to know as your daughter goes through adolescence.[](http://tentotwenty.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/climb.png)**

1. **Your daughter is different from you.** As she grows and finds her identity, it may look different then what you think. It's okay. You're different than your daughter. She needs to find out who she is.

2. **Her emotions are real, even when they're extreme.** Adolescence includes magnified emotions. When your daughter talks in absolutes, don't discount what she's saying. Instead, focus on what she's saying outside of "never" and "always."

3. **She needs you.** Even when she's pushing you away, she still needs you. She needs you to stick with her despite her words, rebellion, and emotions. She needs both parents - Mom and Dad, because both provide significant needs for her growing identity.

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