As you know, I have two daughters – ages 4 and 6. They are beautiful, sensitive, witty, complicated little girls that I completely adore with every ounce of my being. I remember when my oldest was 4, we were driving home from preschool, and she said ‘Mom, I love my body.’ Her casual statement as we headed home for lunch has stayed with me every.single.day. Two years later she continues to be one of the most confident girl’s in her class – something I desperately hope she hangs onto for the rest of her life. Of course, I know she’ll have her own self trials and tribulations, but I hope, as her mother, I can get her through the peaks and valleys and remind her of that simple, yet powerful statement when she was little.
My goal is to raise AWESOME girls and hopefully along the way you’ll feel re-inspired, because we all know motherhood is not easy.
How To Raise Awesome Girls
Disclosure: Honestly, the list below is applicable regardless if you have a boy or girl, and whether you’re a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, caregiver, etc. I’m sharing it from my point of view (since I have daughters) but I think the premise is relatable across the board.
- Tell them they’re beautiful and brilliant
- Let them explore their interests (whether it’s sports, dance, art, etc.) then help facilitate them
- Listen to their stories
- Encourage wanderlust
- Only speak positive of your body
- Only speak positive of their body
- Accept compliments
- Read to them
- Let them read to you
- Appreciate what makes them different than other kids
- Show them to appreciate what makes others different
- Show value in their opinion
- Hug often
- Ask about the favorite part of their day
- Get to know their friends and the parents
- Make sure they feel safe at home, school, on the bus, etc.
- Get to know their school environment (teachers, classmates, etc.)
- Show and encourage gratitude
- Value effort
- Identify family values
- Show them what it means to be a good friend
- Show them what it means to be a good partner
- Pay attention to what they’re watching on TV, their tablet or smartphone
- Make sure every caregiver is on board since it takes a village to raise awesome kids!
Motherhood can be the sweetest, yet hardest thing you will ever experience. If you’re a parent, then you can relate – some days are easier than others, and pride sweeps over you like ‘I’m totally killing it,’ but most often, we are just hoping to make it to bedtime with happy kids and full tummies. Sometimes we just need a tiny win to create that maternal euphoria that balances it all out. All in all, we are totally capable of raising awesome kids, so I’m here to tell you – ‘We Got This!‘
I’d like to thank my friends at Stephen Joseph for styling my girl’s so they can handle anything – rain or shine! You can check out the entire collection HERE.
Cheers to being awesome moms, raising awesome kids!
XoXo Portia
*Photos by Jasmine Klein Photography
Disclosure: I received product in exchange for this post. The opinions expressed here represent my own, which I take great pride in providing pure honesty…because I’m OBSESSED with sharing the Good!