Girls Who Grow Up To Become Emotionally Strong Women Usually Hear 9 Things At Home On A Regular Basis
PeopleImages | Shutterstock It seems like society is constantly tearing women down and pitting them against each other, so it’s important for them to learn that this doesn’t have to be their reality early in life.
This is where parents come in, because what they repeatedly say to their daughters shapes who they become. Hearing certain phrases at home could mean the difference between confidence and self-doubt.
Girls whose parents share lessons on a regular basis grow up to become emotionally strong women:
1. ‘It’s always OK to say no’
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Boundaries might seem like a complicated thing to teach children, but it’s never too early to start. Since boundaries are built on understanding your own feelings and other people’s, that’s a good place for parents to begin.
When girls aren’t given permission to say no, they can turn into people-pleasers really easily, possibly before they even reach adulthood. Emotional strength comes from knowing you have a choice. Feeling like you should always say yes takes that choice away.
2. ‘You don’t have to have a man in your life’
When girls are still young, it might seem unnecessary to talk to them about future romantic relationships. Unfortunately, our culture teaches girls they need to start looking for their version of Prince Charming from the second they watch their first Disney movie.
It wasn’t all that long ago that women depended on men for financial support, but they can take care of themselves now. Parents who teach their daughters to solve their own problems and hold themselves accountable are setting them up to be fully independent.
3. ‘Even if you make a mistake, you can still learn from it’
Mistakes are inevitable, and they shouldn’t be confused with failure. Many women become perfectionists who can’t differentiate between the two, though. This makes it hard for them to do anything because they’re so afraid of messing up.
It’s not surprising that perfectionism often stems from growing up with parents who have sky-high expectations that can’t possibly be met. When girls are led to believe that a mistake is the end of the story, they just see it as a negative instead of a learning opportunity.
4. ‘You can do hard things’
No one is able to get through life without facing challenges they’d rather not have to deal with. Since there’s no way to avoid hard times, what really matters is how you respond to them.
If girls aren’t told they can handle hard things, they’ll start to think of them as being impossible to get through. Emotionally strong women know they’re capable, but that’s something they learn over the course of their entire lives.
5. ‘Always trust your instincts’
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Rational people don’t typically think it’s a good idea to rely on intuition alone, but gut feelings are very real and come from the connection between the gut and the brain. That obviously doesn’t mean that people shouldn’t think through their decisions, but sometimes there just isn’t time to.
Women find themselves in a lot of situations where their knowledge is questioned. Girls who are encouraged to go with their gut when the time is right become strong because they know they can trust themselves.
6. ‘Surround yourself with people who really care’
Girls are pressured to seek popularity when they’re super young. If they think recognition is more important than actually being supported, they aren’t going to pick good friends who care about them. Whether they can be called friends at all is debatable, actually.
Close friends are necessary for everyone’s well-being. Even though it sounds like it should be instinctual, girls still need to be reminded of how important that is so they can reach their full potential as women.
7. ‘You can’t expect everyone to like you’
It’s normal for people to want to be liked, but feeling an actual need to be liked can be dangerous. That’s what turns someone into a people-pleaser. Plus, it’s not even an attainable goal. No one can be liked by everyone they meet.
Girls who aren’t reminded that they don’t have to be universally liked when they’re growing up won’t become strong women because they’ll always be focused on seeking other people’s approval. They won’t know how to stop looking for external validation to preserve their self-worth.
8. ‘Crying isn’t a sign of weakness’
Women have a reputation for being overly emotional. It’s not uncommon for them to be accused of being too sensitive, so they might try to overcorrect by never crying at all.
But crying is a normal expression of emotion. Parents who encourage their daughters to cry without guilt give them permission to be authentic, even when it's more comfortable not to. That’s true emotional strength.
9. ‘You can always come to me for help’
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Children thrive more when their parents show up for them, even after they grow up. That doesn’t happen often, though, because a lot of kids have a relationship with their parents that makes them feel like they can’t be completely honest.
When girls are told that the opposite is true, and that their parents care and will always be there to support them, they’re able to develop another layer of confidence. That’s how they become emotionally strong women who aren’t afraid to ask for help at any age.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism who covers news, psychology, lifestyle, and human interest topics.
