This is a sponsored post. All opinions are 100% mine. Hail all women during this month we celebrated International Women’s Day on March 8th. My mom was a single parent. She raised my sister and I without help. She was a strong woman. She was not a super hero by any means. I learned what to do, and what not to do what not to do when raising my daughters. As a mom, I wanted my girls to be strong, independent and well rounded young women. I found the secrets to raising a strong and happy daughter were not as elusive as I had feared.

How To Raise A Strong, Happy Daughter

• Start With Yourself: This was a tough one. I used to practice self-deprecating talk. I did it out loud. In front of my girls. When I said I was fat, or stupid or clumsy, what message was I sending? I am also a nerd, laugh too loud, am a song title and lyric savant. Instead of knocking yourself, embrace yourself! If you are weird, be proud of it! Teach your daughter to embrace what makes her unique. Don’t let her be a follower (except when appropriate.) Teach her lead the nerd herd! Her self esteem will soar! This is one of my most important secrets to raising a strong and happy daughter.
• Find A Balance: My youngest daughter is a senior at a STEM high school. I have pulled back on my overbearing mom stuff. I have expectations for her and much of the time, she reaches or exceeds them. She has failed. It is human. To set high expectations on a child puts pressure on them. This can turn anxiety and depression. How do I know? From experience. My oldest struggled with these as a high school senior. I learned to back off.
• Self Discipline: I am a doer. I like to do things for everyone, especially my kids. I like to make their beds, do their laundry and drive them to school. At some point, I need to let them spread their wings. If I don’t, I am raising a child who is not well equipped to function as an adult. Sp what if they don’t fold the towels like you prefer? At least they are putting in the effort, right?
• Be Emotional: This is a slippery slope with girls. You don’t want to raise a girl who gets hysterical at the drop of a hat. You also don’t want a robot. We need to teach our girls it is OK to be emotional creatures. We just need to guide them on what to do with those emotions. My mom was big on us NOT expressing emotions. I learned to stuff them down with food. My girls have learned to be emotional without being over the top divas or emotional cripples. Whew!

No Damsels In Distress Here

I love Netflix for a lot of reasons. For this post, I will stick with the strong women thing. If you want to find shows with a strong female lead, or cast, Netflix has a ton! You will find no damsels in distress on this post! From Eleven on Stranger Things to Buffy, girls are kicking butt and taking names all over Netflix! Caitlin and I are into The X-Files lately. FBI Agent Dana Scully is one tough lady. She definitely keeps Mulder in check, that’s for sure! iZombie is another great show with a strong female lead. Liv, who is turned into a zombie at a party, never missed a beat. She took a bad situation (being the living dead) and took charge. She continues as a medical resident and keeps her dinner of human brains on the down low.

You can stream Netflix from your mobile device, computer, TV or gaming system for less than $15 a month! You can also sign up for their DVD plan if you prefer watching it that way. Either way, you are getting what you want to watch, right at your fingertips! Be sure to follow Netflix on Facebook and Twitter!

I am so excited about this show, I want you to see it! I am giving away a $25 Netflix Gift Card!!

Do you have a daughter? What are your secrets to raising a strong and happy daughter? Please share in the comments below!