Expert claims aunts are just as important as mothers when raising daughters

A parenting expert has revealed that aunts are just as important as a child’s mother when it comes to raising daughters. And they don’t even have to be related by blood!

Think how many ‘aunties’ you probably had growing up who were essentially friends of your parents. Or what about Aunt Hilda and Aunt Zelda in Sabrina The Teenage Witch?

Well, this female influence is vital according to Steve Biddulph, who is the author of the books Raising Girls and 10 Things Girls Need Most, as well as a psychologist in his native Australia.

Speaking to ABC's Parental as Everything podcast, Steve claims that girls actually need someone other than their parents to turn to for advice, and that’s where aunts come into play.

ABC

He explained that aunts are a 'pillar of mental health for girls'.

Most teenagers (remember when you were one?), in particular, go through phases whereby the last person they want to share anything personal with are their parents. But obviously, 'they still need lots of help', Steve told podcast host Maggie Dent.

Girls growing up now face all the same pressures and puberty changes but then when you add in worrying about social media and the effect this can have on young women and girls, it makes sense to have a support system for when they feel like they can’t talk to their mum or dad, or anyone else.

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Steve suggests: "It doesn't have to be a blood relation, it's just somebody around your mum's age who loves you too."

So, if you have a niece or a close friend who has a daughter or daughters, taking the time to bond with them as building a level of trust is key in having them come to you when they need advice or help.

It could be something as simple as showing an interest in their favourite singer or the thing they can’t stop talking about at the minute, or when it comes to what they want to do with their future. But having that person, other than their parents, to confide in is especially important.

"If you don't provide this then girls will default to the peer group, and this is where social media gets out of control because the peer group is very ill-equipped to be supportive,” Steve reveals.

Whether it’s for dating advice, issues at school or even a body confidence pep talk, would you go to your aunt instead of your mum in certain circumstances?