FREE! Daughters Community Forum
Share your concerns and advice about the challenges of raising a daughter with other parents and experts. The topics range from cliques to body issues to dating.

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January/February 2008

Life Skills: She can resolve it! A six-step conflict technique by Jamie Woolf
Conflicts between girls are inevitable, but girls aren't always skilled at resolving disagreements and instead stifle their resentments or act out in hurtful ways. Leadership professional Woolf outlines six simple ways for any girl to work out a problem and deepen a friendship. And the tips work just as well for adults!

July/August 2007

Interview: Rachel Simmons on dealing with conflict
Girls often get very upset when conflict or hurtful behavior threaten a friendship, and whether a girl is a victim or victimizer, friendship issues are a frequent source of turmoil during the tween and teen years. When your girl learns healthy ways to express unpleasant feelings and address disagreements, she’ll be better able to cope with conflict, both now and in the future, says Rachel Simmons, author of Odd Girl Out (Harcourt, 2002) and founding director of the Girls Leadership Institute. Learn how to help your daughter strengthen her relationships by practicing the skills of honest and respectful communication.

November/December 2006

Start a girls talking circle--with guys! by Linda Wolf and Neva Wilson
What would happen if girls and guys honestly talked on a regular basis? Lots of good stuff, say Wolf and Wilson, who created GenderTalks, a mixed-gender talking forum that has been replicated in many places. Girls—and boys—benefit and bad interactions decline when they can share fears, concerns, frustrations, and hopes in a safe setting with a supportive adult.

March/April 2006

She's "stuck" ...and that's fine
Is your daughter clinging to the same set of friends and avoiding your efforts to get her to try new people and new situations? Maybe that’s not so bad. Explore the upsides of “the same old” with this mom of a 13-year-old.

July/August 2005

When Her Friends Make Bad Choices
What to do when a girl gets caught up in ill-advised and sometimes dangerous activities with friends? Whether it’s friends who sneak out of the house with boys or harmful online communicating, we can help her make better choices as well as negotiate friendship issues.

November/December 2004

Putting Popularity in Its Place
Popularity may mean too much for girls, but it can sometimes mean too much for parents. Help her learn how to find lasting friendships and make good choices with peers.

July/August 2004

Lyn Mikel Brown on Girlfighting
The author of Girlfighting: Betrayal and Rejection Among Girls (New York University Press, 2003) debunks the idea that girls are fighting more. As girls' issues get more attention, she says, the media must find a way to trivialize them.

September/October 2002

Rosalind Wiseman on Cliques
The author of Queen Bees and Wannabes gives insight on the nature of girls and cliques.