RAISING CONFIDENT TEEN DAUGHTERS | Self-Esteem, Self-Worth, Mental Health Education, Parenting, Friendship, Comparison

83 - Why Parenting Tween & Teen Girls Can Feel So Lonely (And How to Find Support Again)

Parenting tween and teen girls can feel surprisingly lonely.
When our kids were little, it felt so easy to talk openly with other moms about sleep struggles, feeding schedules, and tantrums. But as our daughters get older, many moms quietly find themselves navigating new challenges without the same level of support.
In this episode, we’re talking about why this can feel so isolating, and you’ll also hear a few gentle ways to start finding more support and connection as you figure out these years with your daughter.
Free Workshop for Moms
If you’re raising a tween or teen daughter and want practical tools to stay confident, calm, and connected during this stage, I’d love to invite you to my upcoming workshop:
Raising Confident Girls Workshop
In this free training, you’ll learn simple ways to support your daughter’s confidence while also feeling more grounded and confident in your parenting.
You can register here:https://meanttobeme.org/workshop
 
xo, Kristen 
 
Mentioned in this episode:
- Join my NEW Facebook Community: Raising Confident Teen Daughters
 
Resources: 
- FREE GUIDE: Join my email insider list and start building her worth and confidence today → Five Simple Ways to Build Your Daughter's Self-Esteem in Five Minutes a Day
- One-on-One Coaching: If you’d like more personalized support, I offer 30-minute sessions for moms!  You can learn more or book a session here: Coaching
- My Confidence Course for Girls/Moms: Learn simple tools that help your daughter build confidence and strengthen your connection... without you having to figure it all out alone. I’ll guide you step-by-step. Join here → Meant to Be Confident
- Hand Lettered Design’s Workbooks: One of our favorites in our home. They make it easy (and fun!) for girls to strengthen their mental health daily. Check them out here → Use code KRISTEN to save 10%
- Connect with me on Instagram @meanttobe.me for more tips and behind-the-scenes!
 
 
 
 
 
 

82 - Does Your Daughter's Confidence Window Really Close at 12? (What the Research Actually Says)

I saw a popular post on Instagram this week claiming a girl’s confidence window closes at age 12, and a lot of parents were scared. 
If that’s true… what does it mean if your daughter is already 12, 14, or 16?
In this episode, we talk about what research actually says about girls’ confidence, why it often dips in the tween years, and why it’s not too late to help your daughter build her confidence. (Plus my favorite simple tips that make a big difference in her self-esteem!)
If you're here listening, you’re already doing the work!
xo, Kristen
Free Upcoming Workshop for Moms
Want to learn how to stay calm, confident, and connected with your daughter as you parent through the ups and downs of these years? 
Join my free live workshop for moms of tween and teen girls.
Register here:The Confident & Connected Mom
 
Mentioned in this episode:
- FREE GUIDE: Join my email insider list and start building her worth and confidence today → Five Simple Ways to Build Your Daughter's Self-Esteem in Five Minutes a Day
 
Resources: 
- Join my NEW Facebook Community: Raising Confident Teen Daughters
- One-on-One Coaching: If you’d like more personalized support, I offer 30-minute sessions for moms!  You can learn more or book a session here: Coaching
- My Confidence Course for Girls/Moms: Learn simple tools that help your daughter build confidence and strengthen your connection... without you having to figure it all out alone. I’ll guide you step-by-step. Join here → Meant to Be Confident
- Hand Lettered Design’s Workbooks: One of our favorites in our home. They make it easy (and fun!) for girls to strengthen their mental health daily. Check them out here → Use code KRISTEN to save 10%
- Connect with me on Instagram @meanttobe.me for more tips and behind-the-scenes!
 
 
 
 
 

81 - The Unexpected Connection That Happened When I Shared My Teen Struggles With My Daughters

Last week I was working on a new lesson for my course that asks moms to reflect on their own struggles as teenagers.
While I was thinking about some of my experiences, I ended up sharing a few of them with my daughters… and it turned into a really emotional and connecting moment I didn’t expect.
If you're navigating the ups and downs of raising a tween or teen daughter, this episode will encourage you to pause, reflect, and remember that connection often starts with understanding.
xo, Kristen 
 
Mentioned in this episode:
One-on-One Coaching: If you’d like more personalized support, I offer 30-minute sessions for moms!  You can learn more or book a session here: Coaching
 
Resources: 
- Join my NEW Facebook Community: Raising Confident Teen Daughters
- FREE GUIDE: Join my email insider list and start building her worth and confidence today → Five Simple Ways to Build Your Daughter's Self-Esteem in Five Minutes a Day
- My Confidence Course for Girls/Moms: Learn simple tools that help your daughter build confidence and strengthen your connection... without you having to figure it all out alone. I’ll guide you step-by-step. Join here → Meant to Be Confident
- Hand Lettered Design’s Workbooks: One of our favorites in our home. They make it easy (and fun!) for girls to strengthen their mental health daily. Check them out here → Use code KRISTEN to save 10%
- Connect with me on Instagram @meanttobe.me for more tips and behind-the-scenes!
 
 
 
 

80 - How to Make Friends: A Simple Social Skills Framework You Can Teach Your Daughter

Does your daughter struggle with making friends?
Maybe she freezes in conversations…Only gives compliments…Or doesn’t know what to say after “hi.”
If you’ve ever felt the ache of watching your daughter struggle socially, this episode will give you something practical to try.
I’m teaching you a simple social skills framework you can use at home:
Notice → Ask → Share
It’s a repeatable formula that helps girls:
Start conversations
Keep them going
Move beyond surface-level compliments
Build real connection instead of just awkward silence
You’ll learn:
How to teach timing (when to jump in and when to wait)
5 safe topic categories your daughter can rotate through
How to role-play with her
And remember, confidence isn't doing things perfectly.
It's being willing to feel awkward and still try anyways!
xo, Kristen 
 
Mentioned in this episode:
- Join my NEW Facebook Community: Raising Confident Teen Daughters
- FREE GUIDE: Join my email insider list and start building her worth and confidence today → Five Simple Ways to Build Your Daughter's Self-Esteem in Five Minutes a Day
 
Resources: 
- My Confidence Course for Girls/Moms: Learn simple tools that help your daughter build confidence and strengthen your connection... without you having to figure it all out alone. I’ll guide you step-by-step. Join here → Meant to Be Confident
- Hand Lettered Design’s Workbooks: One of our favorites in our home. They make it easy (and fun!) for girls to strengthen their mental health daily. Check them out here → Use code KRISTEN to save 10%
- Connect with me on Instagram @meanttobe.me for more tips and behind-the-scenes!
 
 
 

79 - Why You Keep Reacting Instead of Responding: Nervous System Triggers in Parenting

Do you ever snap at your daughter and then immediately think,“Why did I react like that?!” 
You're not alone.
In today’s episode, we’re talking about whythis happens, what triggers your nervous system, and how you can reset and repair afterwards. 
Because remember, confidence isn’t about not feeling big emotions.It’s about being willing to feel them, and modeling that for your daughter.
xo, Kristen 
 
Mentioned in this episode:
- FREE GUIDE: Join my email insider list and start building her worth and confidence today → Five Simple Ways to Build Your Daughter's Self-Esteem in Five Minutes a Day
- My Confidence Course for Girls/Moms: Learn simple tools that help your daughter build confidence and strengthen your connection... without you having to figure it all out alone. I’ll guide you step-by-step. Join here → Meant to Be Confident
 
Resources: 
- Join my NEW Facebook Community: Raising Confident Teen Daughters
- Hand Lettered Design’s Workbooks: One of our favorites in our home. They make it easy (and fun!) for girls to strengthen their mental health daily. Check them out here → Use code KRISTEN to save 10%
- Connect with me on Instagram @meanttobe.me for more tips and behind-the-scenes!
 
 

78 - Fitting In vs. Belonging: 3 Ways to Support Your Daughter on Her Journey

When I ask moms what they want most for their daughters, they nearly all say some version of: staying confident, being true to who they are, not trying to fit in, loving themselves, etc. 
In this episode, we’re talking about fitting in vs. belonging and three realistic ways to support your daughter on her journey towards the goal of belonging.
This is for moms who want to raise daughters with self-worth rooted in truth, who feel safe being themselves, and who know they can always find their way back when they feel the pull to fit in.
xo, Kristen 
 
Mentioned in this episode:
- Join my NEW Facebook Community: Raising Confident Teen Daughters
- FREE GUIDE: Join my email insider list and start building her worth and confidence today → Five Simple Ways to Build Your Daughter's Self-Esteem in Five Minutes a Day
 
Resources: 
- My Confidence Course for Girls/Moms: Learn simple tools that help your daughter build confidence and strengthen your connection... without you having to figure it all out alone. I’ll guide you step-by-step. Join here → Meant to Be Confident
- Hand Lettered Design’s Workbooks: One of our favorites in our home. They make it easy (and fun!) for girls to strengthen their mental health daily. Check them out here → Use code KRISTEN to save 10%
- Connect with me on Instagram @meanttobe.me for more tips and behind-the-scenes!
 
 

77 - Feeling Unsure How to Connect with Your Daughter in this New Stage of Parenting? Try this Simple Hack.

Do you feel unsure how to connect with your daughter now that she’s growing into a tween or teen?
If connection felt easier when she was younger, you’re not alone. This parenting struggle is common, and yet it can still feel really hard!
In this episode, I share a simple connection hack that has made a big difference for me and for many moms I talk to: get into her thing.
We talk about why this approach works so well during the tween and teen years, how it builds both connection and confidence, and several real-life examples of what this can look like.
This episode will leave you feeling reassured that connection isn’t gone... it’s just changing.
xo, Kristen 
 
Mentioned in this episode:
- Join my NEW Facebook Community: Raising Confident Teen Daughters
- FREE GUIDE: Join my email insider list and start building her worth and confidence today → Five Simple Ways to Build Your Daughter's Self-Esteem in Five Minutes a Day
- My Confidence Course for Girls/Moms: Learn simple tools that help your daughter build confidence and strengthen your connection... without you having to figure it all out alone. I’ll guide you step-by-step. Join here → Meant to Be Confident
 
Resources: 
- Hand Lettered Design’s Workbooks: One of our favorites in our home. They make it easy (and fun!) for girls to strengthen their mental health daily. Check them out here → Use code KRISTEN to save 10%
- Connect with me on Instagram @meanttobe.me for more tips and behind-the-scenes!
 
 
 
 
 
 

76 - This Common Parenting Mistake Can Lower Your Daughter’s Self-Worth (What to Say Instead)

When your daughter makes a choice that you wish she wouldn't have, it’s easy to focus on correcting the behavior. But one common parenting mistake can quietly lower your daughter’s self-worth and self-esteem without you realizing it.
In this episode, we talk about why separating the behavior from her identity matters so much for her mental health.
You’ll learn what to say instead when your daughter is overwhelmed, ashamed, or speaking negatively about herself, that protects her self-worth while still holding healthy boundaries.
If you’re parenting tween or teen girls and want practical mental health education, connection-building tools, and real-life “what to say” scripts, this episode is for you.
xo,Kristen
 
Mentioned in this episode:
- Join my NEW Facebook Community: Raising Confident Teen Daughters
- Best Parenting Book - "Good Inside"
- Powerful Book on Human Connection - "The Light We Give"
 
Resources: 
- FREE GUIDE: Start building her worth and confidence today → Five Simple Ways to Build Your Daughter's Self-Esteem in Five Minutes a Day
- My Confidence Course for Girls/Moms: Get all the videos, activities, and tools to help your daughter build her confidence and your connection. I'm the teacher - you just get to sit back, learn, and connect! Join here → Meant to Be Confident
- Hand Lettered Design’s Workbooks: One of our favorites in our home. They make it easy (and fun!) for girls to strengthen their mental health daily. Check them out here → Use code KRISTEN to save 10%
- Connect with me on Instagram @meanttobe.me for more tips and behind-the-scenes!
 
 
 
 

75 - How to Help Your Daughter Without Taking On Her Feelings

When your daughter is struggling, it can feel impossible not to take on her emotions as your own. In this episode, we talk about how to help without absorbing her anxiety, fear, or sadness, and why regulating yourself first is so important.
You’ll learn what co-regulation looks like with teens, whether it’s okay for your daughter to see you cry or know you’re feeling anxious, and what to say to support her without making things worse.
As challenging as these seasons are, they can build emotional resilience and help your teen and tween girls feel safe expressing big emotions.
xo, Kristen  
 
Mentioned in this episode:
- FREE GUIDE: Start building her worth and confidence today → Five Simple Ways to Build Your Daughter's Self-Esteem in Five Minutes a Day
- Join my NEW Facebook Community: Raising Confident Teen Daughters
 
Resources: 
- My Confidence Course for Girls/Moms: Get all the videos, activities, and tools to help your daughter build her confidence and your connection. I'm the teacher - you just get to sit back, learn, and connect! Join here → Meant to Be Confident
- Hand Lettered Design’s Workbooks: One of our favorites in our home. They make it easy (and fun!) for girls to strengthen their mental health daily. Check them out here → Use code KRISTEN to save 10%
- Connect with me on Instagram @meanttobe.me for more tips and behind-the-scenes!
 
 

74 - Wish Your Daughter Would Talk About Her Feelings? 3 Things You Can Start Today to Help Her

Do you ever wish your teen daughter would open up about her feelings more?
I know how hard it is to watch those feelings stay stuffed down inside when you know how much it will help her to be able to let them out!
In this episode, I’m sharing three things you can start doing right now to help her with this that will both strengthen her emotional health and your connection.
xo, Kristen 
 
Mentioned in this episode:
- My Confidence Course for Girls/Moms: Get all the videos, activities, and tools to help your daughter build her confidence and your connection. I'm the teacher - you just get to sit back, learn, and connect! Join here → Meant to Be Confident
- Feelings Wheel
 
Resources: 
- FREE GUIDE: Start building her worth and confidence today → Five Simple Ways to Build Your Daughter's Self-Esteem in Five Minutes a Day
- Hand Lettered Design’s Workbooks: One of our favorites in our home. They make it easy (and fun!) for girls to strengthen their mental health daily. Check them out here → Use code KRISTEN to save 10%
- Connect with me on Instagram @meanttobe.me for more tips and behind-the-scenes!