Guiding daughters to become confident young woman in an age of smartphones and early sexualisation is tough. The parenting expert says in this complex arena, we can't leave these lessons to chance

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

She 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.

The process of raising girls has changed since Maggie was a child, but there are new challenges today — 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

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

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