Bonding with her teenage daughter

Are you tired of competing with your daughter’s friends, the television, the cell phone and the stereo? Looking for fresh, new ideas on how to break out of that tough teenage shell and bond with your daughter? Here’s a fun idea. If you don’t have a lot of money or time to redecorate her entire room, consider concentrating on a small area. Redecorating your closet is a small project that isn’t nearly as daunting as a complete room makeover. The closet is a unique place to start and is sure to catch your eye. Working with your daughter to brainstorm fun ideas opens those lines of communication that are so often closed with teens.

If you have an especially stubborn girl on your hands, you might want to start with a gift to get her creativity flowing. Buy her some glamorous hangers and introduce them to the idea. Glam hangers are beaded decorated hangers that come in a variety of styles and colors. Much more stylish than that assortment of boring mismatched hangers you have now. The use of glam hangers helps her to express her originality by adding a touch of glam to her wardrobe. Her clothes will be displayed in a unique way. Who knows, you might even be encouraged to keep that closet organized. There are styles that button up pants and skirts to keep clothes from wrinkling and increase closet space.

Now that the main part of the wardrobe is dressed, you can move on to more creative concepts. Doing a creative project together will help you have fun together and bond. Go buy unique door knobs or drawer pulls for your cabinet door. Choose whimsical paint colors and come up with color combinations that match your style or your bedding. Decorating a matching switch plate for your closet light is also a fun little side project.

Get inspired by the decorations she’s already placed in her room. Encourage her to display special photos, artwork, letters, or other keepsakes inside or outside the closet door. This is a good time to open those lines of communication and find out a little about your illusory life. Ask her to tell you why certain items are important to her. Her stories can give you ideas for a closet theme, like soccer, ballet, or music. Keep the closeness alive by being supportive and non-judgmental. Offer constructive criticism if necessary, but be sure not to get into an argument. Your ideas are what should ultimately end up being what is shown. That is, of course, unless your idea turns out to be the one you liked. As shocking as this may be, it could happen. Bribe her with a special sleepover if she loses interest or doesn’t want to finish.

There’s nothing like watching your daughter’s creativity blossom as you bond with her. Teaching him that work can be fun and rewarding is also important. The finished product should give both of you something to talk about and laugh about for years to come. Maybe the next time she’s on that cell phone she’ll be bragging about how great her mom is.