Does my relationship with my daughter always have to be fraught?

I miss my daughter.

I miss holding her, kissing her, chatting to her about anything and everything.

I miss laughing with her, dancing with her, being silly on the street with her.

My daughter hasn’t gone anywhere. She’s just rapidly approaching the age of 13.  So her chats have become snarky and almost monosyllabic. She’s disappeared into her increasingly grotty room and shut the door on affection – and me.

I’m hurt, but now a touch more sanguine, thanks to this week’s Debrief Daily podcast.  ‘Just Between Us’ is an exploration of life in all its crazed glory and this week we discuss the relationship between mothers and their teenage daughters.

You can listen here on iTunes

and here on SoundCloud.

Psychologist Victoria Kasunic talks about being ‘loving but firm’, 25-year-old Jessica reveals what happened when her mother was too rigid and Joanne Fedler, the author of Love in the Time of Contempt, tells a fabulous story about a night where her daughter totally freaked her out and what they both learnt.

We’d love to hear your stories about how you’ve navigated the relationship with your teenage daughters and where you found the sweet spot between her need for freedom and independence and your need for boundaries and safety.  Let’s help each other get through this.

Not sure how to download a podcast? Watch this helpful video here:

And if that doesn’t cut it – read this handy step-by-step guide here.