13 things every mom should teach her daughter (post on sheknows.com)

I have two daughters, 10 and 12. As their curves become more evident and their schedules fuller, I realize their education as women cannot be left to chance. Celebrities, Photoshop, lyrics and their peers are all shaping their definition of the should, could and would of girlhood.

Yet what their culture is teaching them about authenticity and honor often misses the mark. The kind of beauty and popularity that lasts a lifetime can’t be achieved with a mascara wand or a few pounds lost.

Here are 13 things I am teaching my daughters about being a woman every day. It’s not easy, because along with the verbal lessons I have to live them out for my girls to see. But I’m confident it will make a difference and they will be far better off than me. (Read more at sheknows.com)

1. The shape of her face

Heart, square, round, oval, the shape of her face will dictate the shape of her eyebrows, her eyeglass choices, makeup application and haircut. Don’t let her wander the dark forest of trial and error. Tell her, show her and set her free to look much cooler than you did at that age.

2. How to be friends with a boy

Man is our partner, lover, boss, son, coach, neighbor and colleague. Don’t let your daughter think boys are solely for romantic daydreams and first kisses. Anyone married for more than a few years will tell you friendship, not romance, is the cornerstone of the relationship. Teaching her to see the humanity in every human being is a lesson worth passing on. (Read more at sheknows.com)