7 Easy Actions to Inspire Your Daughter to Dream Big

Over the last few years, I have interviewed a lot of tweens and teens to learn more about their experience of girlhood. If there is one topic that can weigh down a group of sassy, smart, and ambition young women in a nanosecond, it’s the culture and media obsession with the way they look. Research shows conclusively what we already know intuitively as moms and women, that the focus on how “hot” a girl is at younger and younger ages is just plain bad for our girls – and can have a profound, negative impact on their development from eating disorders to reduced performance at school.

But there’s good news because there is an antidote to a media culture that is fixated on what doesn’t really matter. And every single girl that we have interviewed desires it deep down in her gut. That is to make her life count….to let her awesomeness shine through in a big way to make a positive impact in the world.

Teaching our daughters and nieces, granddaughters, students and friends to live like their biggest, boldest dreams are possible is one of the best ways to counteract all the negativity and objectification. They will be too busy having fun and living a meaningful life to spend time thinking about what size skinny jeans they can wear.

Here are just a few ways you can inspire the girl that you care about to follow her natural inclination to dream big. This list is meant to be easy, not burdensome, so start with just one and then try another.

1. Show your daughter that you take her awesomeness seriously. Invest in a special notebook or journal where she can record her wildest wishes.
2. Expose her often to female role models that are making a difference in the world, particularly in non-traditional ways. The hip young woman, Debbie Sterling, founder of the toy company, Goldiblox is a great place to start.
3. Work to counteract media messages by pointing out how smart or kind or brave female role models are all the time. When a television commentator harps on a female world leader’s hairdo, talk to your daughter about how brilliant a negotiator the leader is instead.
4. Instead of just asking your daughter what she wants to “be” when she grows up, ask her what she loves to do. Notice her passions – what lights her on fire and mention how exciting that is! Write it down!
5. Encourage your daughter to take positive risks – to try something new like an athletic activity or public speaking. One of my favorite sayings is, “you aren’t ‘bad’ at it; you’re ‘new’ at it”. When she comes to an obstacle, remind her of a time where she improved in an activity that she once thought impossible.
6. Value and illicit your daughter’s opinion regularly… Not just about what to have for dinner, but about the presidential election or the latest Disney princess controversy.
7. Be sure she takes time out daily to dream and be creative. Start with just 5 minutes. That will impact her life in unexpected ways in our overscheduled, busy lifestyles. (If she doesn’t have 5 minutes, then we need to talk.) ;-)

Your daughter (and you too by the way) is one in seven billion which makes her naturally spectacular just by being who she really is. Remind her of that every day and you’ll inspire her for a lifetime!!

For more practical and easy actions to help your daughter to dream big join whatsyourbrave.com on Facebook or check out Take 5 for Your Dreams currently available on Amazon.

Paula Grieco is a writer and entrepreneur. She is co-author of the recently released, Take 5 for Your Dreams a project of whatsyourbrave.com. Made especially for teen girls, Take 5 for Your Dreams, is an engaging book that provides more than 90 five-minute daily exercises designed to inspire girls to think about their future, their goals, and how they can get there. Packed with beautiful photos, quotes, mini-essays, and resources, it’s a simple and elegant solution meant to break the idea of dreaming big into easy, doable daily actions.