Mothers all over the world were apprehensive as former Disney star Miley Cyrus twerked on stage Sunday during the MTV Video Music Awards, hoping and praying their daughters wouldn't repeat the same or similar behavior. "Impressionable teenage girls were watching, and, the mother-daughter relationship as well as skills in taking advantage of 'teachable moments' like the ones during Miley Cyrus' performance are crucial," says psychologist Dr. Trevicia Williams.
Effective communication was played out in Frisco mother Kim Keller's, advice on a blog in the aftermath of Miley Cyrus performance. The blog has gotten over 4,052,000 views.
“The mother's open letter entitled: "Dear daughter, let Miley Cyrus be a lesson to you," is a good example of a mother's use of effective communication skills and excellent use of "teachable moments," says Dr. Williams.
On Saturday, October 19, Dr. Williams of Real Beauty Inside Out: Healthy Mother Daughter Relationships is offering a fun educational seminar to educate mothers and teen girls about ways to communicate naturally and maximize teachable moments like Miley Cyrus' performance on MTV. The seminar will be held at the Preston Ridge Conference Center at Collin County College located at 9700 Wade Street in Frisco, Texas 75035.
Being a teenage girl in the 21st century is challenging. An important parenting practice is good and effective communication. During adolescence, communication is vital as it changes from the type that parents used when your daughter was younger. "Previous ways of communicating must be adjusted to accommodate the growing needs and abilities of teen girls (12-18). As the mother-daughter relationship changes and matures, so must parents' communication," says Dr. Williams. Teens who can talk with their parents perform better in school and tend to avoid risky behaviors.
According to Mental Health America, 60% of 8-11 year olds and 56% of 12-15 year olds say they learn "a lot" from their mothers about issues like decision making, sex, alcohol, drugs and violence. Most youth turn to their mothers before their teachers and classes, fathers, the media, and friends.
The seminar that Dr. Williams offers also helps mothers and teen daughters develop trust and respect. They empower and equip mothers and teen daughters during the oftentimes turbulent teen years. "The racing hormones and emotional changes that shape our daughters' adolescence can feel like a roller coaster ride. Sometimes the 'terrible teens' can dim the glow of the most confident moms," says psychologist and author of Pearls in the Pain of Every Experience: Girl Still, Woman Not Quite. Dr. Williams offers her hard earned wisdom for bridging the mother-daughter divide during girls' teen years.
"There is tremendous value in the mother-daughter relationship because both of them care for one another and share a strong investment in the family as a whole," says Dr. Williams.
A healthy mother-daughter relationship also helps to prevent teen pregnancy. According to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancies, "Teens say parents most influence their decisions about sex and 87% say it would be much easier for them to postpone sex and avoid teen pregnancy if they were able to have more open, honest conversations about these topics with their parents."
Dr. Williams is a psychologist, national speaker, and, the author of “There are Pearls in the Pain of Every Experience” has been featured on numerous TV networks, including, Lifetime, Lifetime Movie Network, BET, Oxygen, and Bravo and regularly provides expert tips and breaking news commentary about human behavior, parenting, adversity, overcoming obstacles, life, mother-daughter relationships and more on radio shows as well as other traditional and online media outlets. She is also the host of "Getting There with Dr. Trevicia" which airs on ION network and Blog Talk. Getting There with Dr. Trevicia is a tv and radio show where people can find answers for everyday problems, motivation, productivity tips and cutting edge information about success personal, family and work life success.
Dr. Williams founded Real Beauty Inside Out to help mothers and teen daughter build healthier relationships. "Getting through the 'I Love You But I Can’t Stand You Right Now' time in the relationship can be tough," says Dr. Williams.
During the interactive workshop, participants learn tools for effective communication to build healthy relationships. Registration is now open for upcoming seminars in the Dallas Fort Worth and surrounding area. Space is limited so registered early. Both mothers and their teen daughters must attend the seminar together, and parents must register in advance to attend. For a continuously updated seminar schedule, visit the Real Beauty Inside Out event calendar at www.realbeautyinsideout.com or www.facebook.com/motherdaughterrelationships.