A healthy relationship with your daughter isn't easy to establish and requires lots of patience and work. As your daughter grows into a young woman, you should remain encouraging and supportive. Although you need to be a parent, establish bonds of friendship with your daughter in order to ensure that you are the first person she seeks out when she has a doubt or is in trouble.

Talk to Her

Always talk to her even if you don't approve of her behavior at some point. Share your thoughts with her and through regular interaction, try to ensure that you inculcate some of your moral values into her. By showing her unconditional love and unstinting understanding, you must make sure that she feels encouraged to share her thoughts with you.

Respect Boundaries

As your daughter grows up, you need to give her space to make her own mistakes and her own decisions. At the same time, you should ensure that the mistakes she makes are not major ones. Provide guidance at each step of the way but don't be dictatorial. Explain with reasons the guidance you give her, and accept her views if she feels she needs to do something different.

Be a Parent and a Friend

You should be a friend but that doesn't mean that you should stop being a parent. Give her the confidence of knowing that you have her best interests at heart and are, in fact, her best friend. Also explain why it's essential that you need to be a parent as well, and guide and advise her.

Be a Role Model

Your daughter will benefit most if you practice what you preach. If she finds that her parent upholds all the moral values that are taught to her, she will absorb those values easily.

A daughter can add joy and value to your life forever if you ensure that you remain close to her throughout her life, by sharing a healthy relationship with her.