DISCOVER THE WAYS
TO HELP GIRLS EXTRAORDINARY BECOME
10 STEPS PARENTS CAN TAKE
The 21st century is an exhilarating time for young women This is a time where women are stepping up to shape the world with deepened power, influence and respect. Our daughters have a wider range of diverse female role models than ever before. Theirs is a time to grow up ready to take on tomorrow’s challenges and be a part of a future they choose. Cultivating the skills needed can seem like a daunting pursuit, but when parents work to develop their daughter’s potential, the extraordinary can happen. Big futures start early and involve working with your daughter every day to empower her over time.
Which steps can you take to prepare your daughter for her life of choice ?
1.Encourage her courage Behind every success story there is failure at some point. Extending grace to turn every failure into an opportunity for growth is a subtle, yet powerful, way to build hope, rejuvenate confidence and reignite the passion girls need to persevere towards longer term goals. We sum this up as Grit. Praising courageous attempts as well as successes will open up your daughter to take risks that will help her flourish and realise her full potential. Discover clubs and classes of interest to your daughter that will involve her working as part of a team, in creative and constructive problem-solving as well as using her initiative. Share female role models to show your daughter how perseverance and resilience bring about success Create opportunities for your daughter to take risks safely
“ Although talent and luck play a part in success, when it comes to facing a wide variety of challenges, the most successful people display a large amount of grit. ” -Angela Duckworth
2. Create opportunities to be of value Getting girls working together and within their community is invaluable for developing a sense of value, accomplishment and feeling of competence, all of which boost self esteem. Find opportunities for your daughter to collaborate with others, teams where she can compete with others and clubs to connect with both like and different minds. This will all help her to develop the skills she will need to perform highly, authentically and empathetically later in life. Enrich your daughter’s understanding of different cultures, styles and abilities by participating in racially and economically diverse groups. Support your daughter in understanding the different roles she can play. Guide your daughter to celebrate the strengths of others with understanding that she should not compare herself to them. Help her embrace differences with others in order to forge stronger connections .
“ The major value in life is not what you get. The major value in life is what you become.” -Jim Rohn
3. Stimulate her independence Encouraging independence from the earliest years is one of the very first ways parents can help their daughters to achieve success. Allowing independence demonstrates your belief and trust in your daughter, giving her a sense of empowerment. Growing independence will open up your daughter’s life as she develops coping skills and confidence in her capabilities. Give your daughter space to solve problems herself. Encourage your daughter to persevere and keep trying when she struggles. Inspire her with your confidence that she can get it.
“ There are all types of successful and smart - by learning how she is smart, your daughter will find her own place in the world. ” -Heidi Jayne Boyes
4.Acquaint her with a diverse set of female role models Female role models are important for ambitious girls and being able to network with them, vital to helping girls succeed. When girls see women who have been successful, they are more likely to be successful themselves. Show her a world where she can see herself and share stories of those women from whom she can learn. Help your daughter to access examples of women with whom she can identify and see a world where she herself is ground breaking. Use social media to share with your daughter carefully curated role models. Research shows that following positive female role models on social media results in girls having higher and more focused personal and career aspirations.
“ You can't be what you can't see. ” -Edwina Dunn
5. Praise her efforts Mastery builds confidence, and learning to tolerate failure fosters resilience. Wins, achievements, failures - they all stem from hard work, perseverance, and having the grit to face challenges. Develop your daughter’s confidence, crucial for success later in life, by focussing on the skills and characteristics it took for her to get to that place, rather than any accomplishment or failure itself. Help your daughter build character with challenges that require perseverance and talk about how she can handle defeat to build her self worth.
“ My project was not the best in class, but now I have the skills to create many other better projects. ” -Katie, Year 6
6. Dare her to dream and do For girls who want to forge their future of choice, paving the way from dreaming to doing is a must. Creating the climate to bring dreams to life involves learning and opportunities to practice being brave - developing mindsets such as determination, persistence, resilience and openness to new experiences. Every girl has the potential to live every day brave! Encourage your daughter to try new things and new roles, remaining open minded, equally able to ask for help and manage disagreement.
“ The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up. ” - Peter Varley
7. Encourage her purpose and passion Encouraging your daughter to do something meaningful to her will help her to form her identity and sense of purpose. Girls begin to know their purpose and develop passions through opportunities they have. Providing support and helping sort through choices is a valuable long term process parents can guide. As your daughter understands how much others care for her and how she can affect the world for the better, she will begin to imagine her purpose in life. Provide opportunities for exploration - these can be linked to school, religion, responsibilities at home or in the community, family or friendships. Or all!
“ Purpose spurs the passion Which fans the sparks That light the fires That fuel the change. ” - Richard Branson
8. Demonstrate the worth of her service Successful girls understand that achievements happen with the involvement, support and participation of others. Show your daughter the value and positive impact in her community through nourishing the wellbeing of others. By seeing everyone rise through fairness, kindness and compassion she will find purpose and a role she is passionate about. Encourage your daughter to be kind and thoughtful of others, as well as herself. Create opportunities for her to participate in a team to learn how to celebrate achievements of others and help when they feel discouraged.
“ Don’t wait for good things to happen to you. If you go out and make some good things happen, you will fill the world with hope, you will fill yourself with hope. ” - Barack Obama
9. Ask, Listen, Respect Becoming a good listener is essential for girls who want to shape and influence their future in our ever changing world. Talking together is invaluable to your daughter’s development as an effective and empathic young woman. Help your daughter in her decision making by encouraging self reflection and offering support from this place of intention. Supporting your daughter in this way shows how much you trust and value her, developing the feeling of empowerment that helps her become secure in what she is capable of. Ask questions that encourage your daughter to reflect, opening up communication and conversation Consciously organise time to spend each week with your daughter doing an activity where you will be able to have conversations to understand her situation and needs - open ended questions about her experiences, opinions and emotions help to do this.
“ A highly developed values system is like a compass. It serves as a guide to point you in the right direction when you are lost.”
- Idowu Koyenikan
10. Celebrate your daughter for who she is There can be nothing better than being loved and valued for just being who you are. Self-worth flourishes from this unconditional support. From this foundation, your daughter will develop the self-care and confidence for future health and success. Find a shared interest that you and your daughter can enjoy together each week. Just for the fun of it.
“ A daughter is a miracle that never ceases to be miraculous . ” - Rene Inge
Next Steps From evaluating and selecting her right school or ensuring she has the confidence, learning and skills for success, your decisions will impact upon your daughter’s life. At Wakefield Girls' High School our all-girls’ environment creates additional benefits to prepare your daughter ready for a life, whoever she wants to be. Big futures start here - and they start early. We share a passion for your daughter’s success so please contact us about how an investment in her education now can have a valuable impact on her future.
“ As a parent and role model, yours is the unique opportunity to shape and frame your daughter's future. ” - Contact: admissions - Tel: 01924 372490
Contact Admissions Advice & Enquiries
AN EMPOWERING EDUCATION FOR GIRLS
01924 372490 jblignaut@wgsf.net
WAKEFIELDGIRLS.ORG.UK