Encore: Maggie Dent on guiding young girls to become confident young women

Raising girls in an age of smartphones and early sexualisation is tough and in this complex arena, parenting educator Maggie Dent says we can't leave these lessons to chance.Growing up Maggie was a tomboy and noticed when she was treated differently from little boys, who were allowed to be their exuberant selves when she was not.

She can clearly recall her indignation at being made to wear a dress as a little girl.

The process of raising girls has changed since Maggie was a child, but there are new challenges today like smartphone usage and unwanted sexualisation of young girls, among others.

She says there are core lessons we can learn to face these challenges and raise confident and well-adjusted girls.

Further information

This episode of Conversations was first broadcast in 2022.

Girlhood: raising our little girls to be healthy, happy and heard is published by Pan Macmillan

This episode explores parenting, daughters, young girls, raising girls, smartphones, early sexualisation, psychology, emotions, mothers, fathers, aunties, friends, teachers, attention, focus, listening, guidance, self-esteem, anxiety, bullying, teenagers, support.

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