21 Most Important “Rules” for Moms of Daughters to Remember

From telling her that you love her every day to giving her the tools she needs to be independent, these quotes highlight the important rules for moms of daughters to remember. They really helped me decide how I want to raise my own little girl! Keep reading to check them out!

The Most Important Rules for Moms of Daughters

Okay, so there really aren’t any “rules” when it comes to raising kids. If there were, parenting would be a lot easier, right? We all just have to decide what’s most important to us and make up our own guidelines. I can’t tell you how to raise your daughter, but I can share the most important rules that I follow with mine. I included my favorite mother and daughter quotes for each one, too. Enjoy!

Tell her that you love her every single day

The single most important rule for raising daughters (or sons, for that matter) is to say “I love you” each and every single day. Say it when they first wake up, before they leave the house, at night before bed. As often as you can. Just make sure they know without a doubt that they are thoroughly and unconditionally loved by you.

Be her first friend

Contrary to some belief, you CAN be both a mom AND a friend to your daughter. That’s part of what makes the mother/daughter bond so unique! You just need to set boundaries early on that dictate when you’ll be one or the other, and stick to them.

 

Raise her with humor

Raise your daughter in a home filled with laughter and she’ll always know how to find joy even during hard times.

Teach her to look for the lesson in the hard times

When hard times fall, I want my daughter to know how to look for the lesson instead of focusing on the pain. I also want her to know that the sun always comes up again, and that bad times don’t last forever.

Give her a lifetime of sweet memories

Even the most ordinary day can become extraordinary when you spend it together. Be present. Be in the picture. Memories are truly the best gifts we can give our kids. It’s the one gift that they’ll never, ever outgrow.

Teach her to hold her head high

Teach your daughter that she will make mistakes and that everyone fails sometimes. Make sure she knows that these mistakes don’t define her, and that as long as she holds her head high, the “crown” will never slip.

Teach her that her mind is the most beautiful part of her…

I want my daughter to know that while it’s okay to want to look nice, it’s what’s on the inside that matters the most. A beautiful mind, heart, and soul matter so much more than the right makeup, perfect hair, or the trendiest clothes.

Help her learn to recognize her own beauty without needing validation

I also want my daughter to know that she doesn’t need anyone else to tell her that she’s beautiful for it to be true. I want her to feel it for herself, not hear it from someone else or see it in a mirror.

Love yourself as much as you love her

Part of raising a daughter that recognizes her own beauty is recognizing it within yourself. If you constantly put yourself down, she’ll learn to do the same to herself.

Remember that you’re her role model

If you struggle with accepting yourself, just remember that you’re your daughter’s first and greatest role model. She sees everything you do, and you better believe she’s taking notes.

Comfort her when she needs it…

Be there for her whenever she needs you. Listen to her side when she has a fight with a friend, hold her when she cries, and wipe her tears. Your arms are more comforting than anything else in the world.

…and be her bridge to safety…

Offer her a helping hand. Be her bridge to safety. Hold her up when she’s unsteady. Again, just let her know that you’re there for her no matter what.

…but give her the tools to learn how to stand on her own

At the same time, though, give her the tools to learn how to stand on her own two feet. Remind her that while you’ll always be there for her, she truly does have everything she needs within herself to make it in this world alone.

Help her learn to soar

Raise your daughter to be independent, to think for herself, and strive for greatness Give her wings and teach her how to use them.

Remind her that she can do anything

I want my daughter to know that she can do anything that she sets her mind to. That she is a true force of nature and that nothing can stop her. In the words of Jessica Kirkland, I want her to believe that she can breathe fire.

Encourage her on her journey to becoming herself

My job isn’t to tell my daughter who to become. My job is to encourage her to take the first step on the journey to becoming the person SHE wants to be. I want her to know that I’ll never stand in the way of her path, but I will walk beside her when she wants me to.

Love her even when you disagree with her

We may not always agree with the path our daughters take. As long as they’re happy and healthy, though, we need to remember that it’s THEIR journey, not OURS. We just need to keep loving them, even if we don’t always see eye-to-eye.

Let her in on your secrets

As the quote below says, the more your daughter knows about your life, the stronger she’ll be. Share yourself with your daughter not just so that she can learn from your life, but so that she can feel more connected to you as well. I’m not saying that you have to tell your 5-year-old your deepest and darkest secrets or anything here. Obviously, keep it age-appropriate.

Accept that there are no perfect mothers and daughters

You’re not perfect. She’s not perfect. No one on this entire planet is perfect. But together, you’re pretty spectacular!

Laugh with her, dream with her, and love her

A daughter is a true gift. Treasure her! Laugh with her. Share your dreams with each other. Just plain love her every moment of every day.

Let her fly!

Perhaps the most important of all the rules for moms of daughters is knowing when to let go and let her fly on her own.  Here’s a secret: you won’t just let her go once. You’ll do it a million times in a million different ways. For her first steps, on her first day of kindergarten, her first date, her first time driving on her own, when she leaves for college, when she gets married…you get the point.

When it comes to raising kids, there’s really no way to know for sure that you’re getting them all right until your job is already done. We’re all just kind of winging it. I can’t tell you how to raise your daughters, but these rules definitely make me feel like I’m on the right track. I guess time will tell!