RELATIONSHIPS can build healthy relationships in the future, without having to rely on someone else for everything. “ I always want to give my daughter a platform to talk to her dad and I want her to be able to do whatever she wants.” – Idris Elba GENDER. There are no “male professions” or indeed, “female professions”. Everyone has the right to pursue whatever career they want. Encourage your daughter to kick a football and study science or engineering. Tell her that she can be whatever she wants to be, whether that’s a writer, an astronaut, a teacher or anything else. Supporting her choices will give her the boost to succeed, as she knows you’ll always be cheering her on from the sidelines. Similarly, if you aren’t afraid to take on more traditionally “female” roles early on, then she will come to learn that there are no limits to what she can achieve, regardless of gender or stereotypes. “ It was my father who taught me to value myself. He told me I was uncommonly beautiful and that I was the most precious thing in his life.” – Dawn French IMAGE. Women are particularly targeted for the way they look throughout their lives, but you can influence the way she sees herself, and help build up her self-confidence in a modern world that often seems intent on knocking it down. She might not always want to wear skirts or paint her nails. She might cut all of her hair off or live in jeans and t-shirts. Maybe she wants to wear dinosaur shoes, and where’s the harm in that? Forcing girls to wear “girly” clothes does no good whatsoever, and neither does dressing her in tracksuits if she’d rather wear a sparkly dress. By embracing her style and individuality, you will give her the platform to be exactly who she wants to be. “ Girls are complicated. The instruction manual that comes with girls is 800 pages, with chapters 14, 19, 26 and 32 missing, and it’s badly translated.” – Hugh Laurie VOICE. Discussing things with your daughter can sometimes be a struggle, particularly when it involves topics way out of your comfort zone. Whether it’s sexuality or schoolwork, menstruation or moving out, nobody expects you to have all the answers. The best thing to do is to research the topics and become as well-informed as possible. Just because men don’t menstruate, doesn’t mean they can’t know all about it. “Women troubles” don’t just affect women; it can be a scary time for a young girl, so your daughter will need your support (even if it does mean picking up some sanitary towels to save her the embarrassment!). ■ FQ 51