Raising a strong, confident, fierce daughter is a journey filled with both pride and challenges. There is nothing more fulfilling than empowering daughters who possesses boundless potential and determination. But at the same time, that headstrong stubbornness can make it difficult to help guide her towards a satisfying career path. You’re navigating in uncharted waters.
To Create a Fierce Woman We Must Embrace Empowering Daughters
As parents, one of the most important tasks: to instill values and work ethic. These attributes will keep her pursuing her passions with determination. In addition, it’s imperative to provide the support and resources to help her push forward with her explorations of these talents, even when it starts to get tough.
Fostering a Fiercely Compassionate Daughter
Compassion and empathy are traits that everyone wants their child to have. A big heart and the ability to listen to and help others through problems are beautiful skills. One of the best ways to help foster and develop empathy in your daughter is to encourage her to care for other things. This can be as simple as:
- caring for plants and a pet fish in her room
- helping to care for a younger child or a family pet
- taking on a part-time babysitting gig
If your daughter has an abundance of compassion, it may be a career path. There are plenty of great jobs that both pay well and can allow her to make a real difference in her community. For instance, she could work in a variety of different positions in the healthcare field as a:
- doctor
- occupational therapist
- social worker
- nurse
- or, nearly anything she can think of
Being an Example
One of the best ways to support your daughter as she explores her interests in helping others is to be an example. Active engagement in the community through service or volunteerism are great ways to give back. And can teach her the power a small group of determined individuals has to make a positive difference. Bringing her along to participate and even allowing her to choose the volunteer activity can help her develop connections and explore her interests.
Encouraging a Confidently Hands-On Daughter
We want our daughters to know they can do anything in the world they want to do. Helping to build and maintain that self-confidence is a challenge when raising young women. Starting from a young age:
- allow your daughter to see you accept yourself with all your flaws
- encourage her to develop her own voice
- never make praise or self-worth dependent upon appearances
Your confident and independent daughter may find herself drawn to interests that keep not only her mind active, but her hands as well. There are plenty of highly valued careers that can help her attain this dream. Your daughter could become an apprentice and learn a trade, which is quickly becoming a lucrative option given the shortage of skilled professionals like:
- electricians
- plumbers
- automotive technicians
- pilots
Supporting your daughter as she explores her interests in hands-on careers can come in many forms. Provide her the space to go on adventures and develop her interests independently. Likewise, take her to age-appropriate technical skills courses where she can learn more about her hobbies. Many hands-on types of careers are dominated by men, so continued support and confidence in her abilities will be essential to help her succeed.
Supporting a Passionately Techy Daughter
Today it often seems as though we cannot get away from technology. It’s become an almost essential aspect of our daily lives. Parents can help their daughters develop an early interest in STEM-related careers by encouraging her curiosity and creatively problem-solving everyday activities.
A techy daughter may find herself deeply interested in how the world or the things in it work. Fortunately, there are a plethora of awesome careers that cater to just that curiosity. Career paths like:
- engineering
- research science
- computer programming
- natural resources
Help Answer Burning Questions
Helping your daughter answer her burning questions and pursue her passions in STEM careers should involve helping her see all of the opportunities available to her. Research by CWJobs suggests that nearly 60% of the women currently in STEM careers were inspired by a female role model. Ultimately this means making sure your daughter is exposed to other successful women whether that is through friends and family, attending local events, or even just seeing them online.
Raising a fierce daughter is not for the faint of heart, but it is one of the most rewarding experiences out there. One of the most important roles a parent can play is helping to foster her passions and guide her into a career that will help her to continue exploring her dreams.
About the Writer: Miles is an independent writer with a background in business and passion for tech, psychology, news, and simply helping people live happy and fulfilled lives. He has lived and traveled all over the United States and continues to expand his awareness and experiences. When he is not writing, he is most likely mountain biking or kicking back with a cup of tea.
