This Mom Wants To Dispel The Notion That Raising Teenage Girls Is "Terrible"

Once I had my daughter, I was inundated with sexist and eye-roll-worthy comments about how hard girls can be to raise. They’re more expensive. They’re moody. They’re just plain difficult. Before my daughter could walk or talk, there were so many preconceived notions about who she was or what kind of person she would turn out to be.

We’ve all seen the gender reveal videos of men losing their minds with anger and disappointment when the confetti or cake turns out to be pink. Why are people so down on girls, especially teenage girls?

One mom wants to dispel all the B.S. about how difficult teenage girls can be and shared her own experience raising a teen girl — sharing that she never once heard one positive thing about raising a teen girl. She wants to speak to the young moms and dads, the ones with toddlers and preschool-aged girls, hoping to change their perspective on what’s to come on their parenting journey.

“I happen to be the mom of a teenage girl. And let me tell you, it's actually pretty great. She's like a really interesting rational human that is functional and does things. We have these really cool conversations. No more like, unhinged toddler conversations. She's fully sleep-trained. There are no more diapers. There are other expenses certainly, but she actually has a job and helps contribute to those expenses,” Dr. Meghan Martin begins before listing off several positive attributes of her teenage daughter.

“She asks like, really good questions like, ‘Where are the pockets? Why is that so expensive?’ and ‘Why don't law enforcement and paramedics get paid more?’ She helps around the house with dishes and laundry. Sometimes you have to ask a couple times, but it still gets done, and it gets done pretty well. She made dinner on her own! We had sushi bowls, and they were way better than I would have made, like all the way from the shopping list through the freezing and the salt washing and sugar washing and then even cleaned up.”

Martin goes on to explain that each stage of being a parent comes with its own set of challenges. There is no “easy” age. However, she chooses to see the benefits of having a teenage daughter overpowering the less glamorous attributes like eye rolls and the occasional attitude.

“I'm so excited to see what she does when she grows up, and I'm so proud of her every single day, and I'm certainly holding on for dear life to these last couple years. All of the things, all the terrible things that they say about raising teenage girls and how terrible it is — I want you to know that it can also be really great. They're still your kid, and they're still amazing,” she concluded.

Thousands of TikTok users commented on Martin’s video, praising the ER doctor for her honest and positive take on teenage girls. Some even shared their own stories about just how wonderful teen girls can be while others with younger girls appreciated the words of hope and encouragement.

“I looooove that so many moms are starting to appreciate their teen girls. They do NOT have to have contentious relationships with their moms. Thank you for this!!” one user wrote.

“Thank you! 🥰 I have a very opinionated 3 year old!!! It’s nice to know that it’s not a foregone conclusion that teenage girls are awful!!” another said.

Another said, “I will never understand the stigma of having a daughter. I’m so excited to see who mine becomes ❤️”

“My 16 yr old is way easier than when she was 3 and “I can’t” was her favorite phrase. I agree with this sentiment!” one mom chimed in.

Yes! More appreciation and support for teen girls, especially during such a confusing and overwhelming time in their lives, they need their parents’ admiration more than ever.