Mother/Daughter Relationships
A mother/daughter relationship is one of the most important ties each will have in her lifetime. Many women have difficult relationships with their mothers and daughters, even when they want good relationships. A mother may wish her daughters happiness, yet --- from the point of view of her daughter, she acts quite opposite. A mother may describe her daughter’s choices as failures criticizing her clothes, her music and friends.
Understanding the relationship is critical to young adult girls and the transition to womanhood. Daughters struggle to obtain autonomy as mothers try to protect and this is perceived as over-protectiveness and controlling. Encouraging a healthy mother daughter relationship is not an easy task. Here are some tips for mothers:
Accept your children as unique human beings
Avoid blaming your children if you have problems
Let your children grow up
Do not expect your children to change for your comfort
Evaluate your desires and life goals apart from your children
Allow your children to learn from their mistakes (it is how they learn)
Set clear boundaries
Keep open communication
Do not judge or criticize
Listen – (probably one of the most important things we can do)
If you are having difficulty managing your mother/daughter relationship, we can help you gain a deeper understanding and acceptance of each other. We specialize in working with families.
At the Hellenic Therapy Center, 567 Park Avenue, Scotch Plains, New Jersey, we offer individual and family counseling. We are offering Zoom or Facetime sessions. Contact us call 908-322-0112.
