I have heard the statement “A mother can’t be her daughter’s best friend and be her mother at the same time.” I disagree. I feel that being my daughter’s best friend deepens and broadens the bond in our relationship. I can’t imagine my daughter going to anyone asking for advice or sharing her thoughts in fear of my reactions to her thoughts. No one should know you better than your mother.

As an only child, I was very close to my mother and her to me. I can remember the wonderful times when my mother and I would lie on the bed and talk for hours. She would always start the conversation with “How was your day?” That would get me started and I would just go on and on, because I could see the interest and love in her eyes, and that would motivate me to share even more.

I understand that as a human being there are certain things we choose to keep to ourselves and that is natural. However, over the past few years of facilitating Mother and Daughter Bonding workshops I have seen many mothers and daughters all struggling with the same issue, a lack of honest communication.

As mothers and daughters began to share their intra-conversations (on-going conversation in their heads) they started having honest, loving, trusting, and open communication that was needed to strengthen their bond and create the breakthrough for a better relationship.

How can you be your daughter’s best friend? Recapture that moment when you first looked into her eyes. Start by looking in to her eyes, giving her lots of hugs and, spending at least one hour of quality time a week together. These three things start an energy force that creates a trusting relationship between a mother and her daughter(s) and help you to develop an honest mother and daughter relationship.