Ask Elizabeth: What's Your Daughter Thinking?
Photo: Lauren Cohen
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I definitely don't need to tell you, as a mom you already know this: Your girls are amazing! Smart, strong, brave, kind, loving...and most of all, so generous in their willingness to reach out and help other girls who need advice or support.
I've been so blessed to get to know your incredible daughters. At the same time, this journey these past few years has also led to so many extraordinary conversations with the very special moms just like you, who are leading your daughters with so much love and support. So many of you have talked to me about the fear you're feeling right now as a parent. I hear you when you say how scary it feels to not know or understand what's really going on in your daughter's world! Because you've all been a teen girl yourself, so you know that no matter how close your daughters are to you, there are things girls don't want to share with their moms. Remember? You also know that life is really different now than it was when you were growing up (Facebook, sexting, etc.), and a lot of you have been asking for a glimpse into what's really going on with your girls to help ease those fears.
I'm here to share with you what these extraordinary girls want you to know about what they're dealing with. Each month, we'll explore a question that another mom (or you!) has sent in, and I'll take it to the team of amazing Ask-Elizabeth girls for them to weigh in on. I would never betray the trust I've built with the amazing girls I've worked with—this is all with their permission, meant to even further empower them by giving them this platform to share their wisdom with you. They'll reveal the stuff they may not feel comfortable telling moms directly. They'll give you the 411 on what's really going on for them around that issue and tell us what matters most to them. They'll tell you what they wish their own moms would do and, for inspiration, what their moms did that worked.
I'm not a therapist, and I'm not a parenting expert. I'm a big sister to thousands of girls who have opened up the vault and given me the go-ahead to let you have a little peek inside. Think of me as a facilitator, here to bridge the gap between you and your daughter so you can become (and stay) close and connected.
Just to give you some ideas, here are just a few of the moms' questions I've been asked:
How Elizabeth can help you!
I've been so blessed to get to know your incredible daughters. At the same time, this journey these past few years has also led to so many extraordinary conversations with the very special moms just like you, who are leading your daughters with so much love and support. So many of you have talked to me about the fear you're feeling right now as a parent. I hear you when you say how scary it feels to not know or understand what's really going on in your daughter's world! Because you've all been a teen girl yourself, so you know that no matter how close your daughters are to you, there are things girls don't want to share with their moms. Remember? You also know that life is really different now than it was when you were growing up (Facebook, sexting, etc.), and a lot of you have been asking for a glimpse into what's really going on with your girls to help ease those fears.
I'm here to share with you what these extraordinary girls want you to know about what they're dealing with. Each month, we'll explore a question that another mom (or you!) has sent in, and I'll take it to the team of amazing Ask-Elizabeth girls for them to weigh in on. I would never betray the trust I've built with the amazing girls I've worked with—this is all with their permission, meant to even further empower them by giving them this platform to share their wisdom with you. They'll reveal the stuff they may not feel comfortable telling moms directly. They'll give you the 411 on what's really going on for them around that issue and tell us what matters most to them. They'll tell you what they wish their own moms would do and, for inspiration, what their moms did that worked.
I'm not a therapist, and I'm not a parenting expert. I'm a big sister to thousands of girls who have opened up the vault and given me the go-ahead to let you have a little peek inside. Think of me as a facilitator, here to bridge the gap between you and your daughter so you can become (and stay) close and connected.
Just to give you some ideas, here are just a few of the moms' questions I've been asked:
- What's the best way I can communicate with my daughter about an impending divorce?
- How do I get my daughter to trust me?
- Why is my daughter so angry at me?
- How should I show interest in my daughter's problems without being perceived as intrusive?
- My daughter is no longer the confident girl she was—how can I help her?
How Elizabeth can help you!