My teen daughter’s life is certainly different to mine growing up. There was a lot more innocence before technology took over. Kids stayed kids a lot longer. Now they are exposed to world wide issues at a fingertip and “switched on” once they gain access to a mobile phone.

Society has changed in so many ways. The media (tv programs etc), that children are now exposed to, have a lot more complex mature themes compared to the more simplified, happy go lucky nature of older shows. Society’s expectations and “rules” have changed. So it’s no wonder that our girls are struggling.

What do you think is different in society now to when you grew up?

What images and themes do you think your daughter is exposed to that have a negative effect.

We are surrounded by sexualised images that tell us that we are not perfect and we are not good enough.

No wonder our girls are especially sensitive to their appearance and how they are perceived by their peers.

After parenting 2 boys, I can definitely say that raising a daughter has been a lot more emotional. The roller coaster ride of emotions often start before the age of 10. Many Mums are now reporting their daughter’s attitude has grown a lot at quite a young age.

It’s no wonder that mothers are pulling their hair out, with juggling the demands of work with family life. And their daughters driving them crazy and they wonder “is my parenting style the best?” It’s no wonder that mothers are finding their daughters difficult with many girls feeling like they are the boss and are in control.

Mothers are trying to please their daughters, but often the mother can’t do anything right. Mothers feel guilty and mothers feel they are a failure because they have very little time and their child is being so difficult. Often children are doing attention seeking behaviour, as we have less and less time to squeeze everything in.

Mothers are doing their best in a busy overwhelming world. Mothers, in fact, are amazing at balancing it all. But it can be very stressful and frustrating when often Mums are struggling to deal with their child’s behaviour, and are feeling exhausted.

Mums often find that getting their children into routines early sets them up for later in life, when life becomes more difficult. That firm foundation assists in keeping some balance and stability to ride out the tougher times.

Mothering: the hardest but most rewarding job in the world. You’re doing great Mumma.