By the time a young woman reaches her mid-teens, she's formed patterns of identity and belief. Now is the time to begin helping your daughter develop into a strong, confident woman. Ensure that you give your young daughter all the tools she needs for fulfillment and growth.
 
Remember these tips when communicating and interacting with your daughter:

• Listen to her.
  The most important gift you can give a child is attention. Listen carefully to what she says and treat her thoughts and questions as valid and important. This will make her feel valued. Ask her what she thinks and encourage her to develop opinions.
• Listen to yourself.
  Children learn most of their early values and morals from their parents. Your child will absorb any verbal or behavioral messages that you send about women. Listen to how you talk about women -- if you convey messages that women are competent, powerful and intelligent people, your daughter will most likely assume these beliefs as her own. The healthier her view about women, the greater her chances of emerging successfully from the process of gender socialization.
• Praise your daughter for actions and personality characteristics.
  Too often, little girls are praised for being pretty and sweet instead of smart, strong-willed and determined. Boys, on the other hand, often garner praise for these qualities. Praise your daughter when she acquires new skills, when she does things for herself and when she's brave.
• Offer strong female role models.
  Introduce her to the women you admire and talk to her about the women she looks up to. Read her books with strong female heroines. Although revisionist fairy tales may lack some of the power of the originals, you can find books in which women take charge of their own lives.
• Make an effort to counteract media stereotypes.
  Of course, children also learn about the world through television and movies. A disproportionate number of women in children's commercials fall into stereotyped gender roles. You can counteract this effect by talking with your daughter about what women do aside from cooking and nurturing. Also, be aware that many forms of media promote the illusion that women must wait for men to rescue them instead of proactively seizing their own destinies. Talk to your daughter about alternative roles for women.
• Encourage your daughter to play with a variety of toys.
  Although studies show that girls gravitate toward dolls and other toys that allow them to mimic adult interactions, offer her building blocks, art supplies and trucks, as well. Ignoring the gender distinction between toys will help her feel that she has the ability to do both 'girl' and 'boy' activities. Moreover, different toys promote different types of mental and physical skill development.
• Help her only when she needs it.
  Children need the freedom to explore the world. In order to develop your girl's feelings of independence, give her space and time to practice problem solving and exploration on her own. Give her hints only if she gets stuck -- never do for her what she can do for herself. Early confidence comes not only from your display of love and support, but also from her ability to do things for herself. Buy clothes that she can put on with limited help, give her tasks she can accomplish and praise her successes.

Help your daughter develop feelings of competency and worth now, and you'll set her up for a lifetime of confidence and self-esteem. For more thoughts, read Things Will Be Different For My Daughter: A Practical Guide to Building Her Self-Esteem and Self-Reliance, by Mindy Bingham and Sandy Stryker