What are the things you want your daughter to become? When she is all grown up, there will be a moment when you’ll just know. It happened to me. There is a sudden revelation that goes something like, “Oh my gosh—we really did it. This is a full-grown woman standing here talking to me.”
When it happens, you’re going to start flashing back through all the phases from diapers to graduations. Everything that happens in those years influences the woman she’ll become—and you’re living those years now, as your daughter grows before your eyes. Here are 5 things you want her to become.
1. Competent
Competence breeds confidence and you want her to possess both of those traits. We know the challenges adulthood will bring, so we want to be sure she’s armed with the necessary skills to make a way for herself. This includes participating in her education and providing extra support when needed, teaching her necessary life skills, and most of all, being present throughout her childhood as a loving role model. She will be prepared for the future with the skills you are teaching her instead of dealing with the frustration of inexperience.
2. Well-Rounded
You want a daughter who achieves in her education, gets along well with family and community, and has a broad array of interests and abilities. You can accomplish this by taking her on varied travels beyond tourist traps, exposing her to the many forms of art and sciences, and via service work in the community. A person who is well-rounded will be a more empathetic and effective adult leader.
3. Self-Aware
Self-awareness is a conscious knowing of personal character strengths and flaws, and being tuned into individual motivations, desires, and abilities. We can cultivate self-awareness in our daughters primarily with consistent and honest feedback—with both praise and correction. The person who lacks self-awareness moves into adulthood unable to accept criticism, which creates unnecessary delays in growth and progress. They might also waste valuable time chasing pursuits for which they aren’t suited. We can further encourage self-awareness by teaching her how to set goals and priorities, practice self-reflection, and keep a daily journal of thoughts and experiences.
4. Filled With Integrity
Is she who she claims to be? Do her actions back up her words? To help your daughter become an honest person with strong principles and convictions, model what you want her to become. Children absorb what they see in their parents, so when she sees her father, be sure what she is absorbing is a man of honest character who stands on high moral principles.
A compassionate person has sympathy and concern for everybody’s lives and not just his or her own.5. Compassionate
A compassionate person has sympathy and concern for everybody’s lives and not just his or her own. We can develop compassion in daughters by teaching basic manners like saying “please” and “thank you,” modeling acts of kindness, volunteer service, and being emotionally available and comforting. Here is a deeper look into how to raise a compassionate child.
Sound off: What is something you hope your daughter becomes when she’s grown?
Huddle up with your kids and ask, “What do you want to be like when you grow up?”