Insecurity can suck the joy and enthusiasm out of daily living, especially for a girl coming of age. Unfortunately, insecurities are a part of adolescent and the teenage years. Navigating this season is unique for Black girls, who live in a society that often stigmatizes and demeans their worth. Moms, you can help your daughter as she climbs this uphill battle.

Regular Mother-Daughter Dates

It is essential to create an open environment for your daughter to share her thoughts, feelings and insecurities from a young age. One tool to have in your motherhood toolkit is regular mother-daughter dates. These can be as simple as a walk at the park, painting each other’s nails or baking a sweet treat. Use the quality time to create a space to dialogue and have open conversation.

Get to the Root of the Insecurity

If your daughter can better understand the root or the cause of her insecurities, it will help her to navigate them. Whether it’s body image, peer pressure, navigating crushes or friendships, insecurities are a part of adolescence. By helping your daughter better understand her triggers, she’ll also grow in self-awareness and confidence for the future.

Encourage Her to Find Her Tribe

As adults, friends help celebrate you, love you and tune out your nagging insecurities. As your daughter gets older, one way to help her navigate insecurity is to help her make good friends. Encourage her to lean into friendship and to be intentional with peers who are kind and considerate.

Teach Her Self-Confidence Affirmations

Encourage your daughter to speak highly of herself. Affirmations will help your daughter build up her confidence and speak positively about herself. Words are powerful, and by teaching her self-confidence affirmations at a young age, she’ll be able to combat the sneaky little insecurities that pop up in her mind.