Mom And Daughter Relationship: Everything You Need To Know

A mom and daughter relationship is precious. But, though the bond may appear unbeatable at first, it can eventually deteriorate to the extent where the sight of each other becomes uncomfortable. However, they eventually work out their conflicts and form a caring support network.

Navigating the ever-shifting mother-daughter relationship can be challenging. But, it is not all doom and gloom! Maintaining a healthy relationship is possible, even if you are going through a difficult time. All it requires is some serious reflection and behavior modification. Keep reading this article to learn what you can do to strengthen your bond with your mother or daughter (or both!). Scroll down!

Why Do Mother-Daughter Relationships Matter?

The importance of mother-daughter relationships came to light when a study revealed that the relationships between mothers and daughters are the strongest amongst any parent-offspring relationships (1).

In fact, it serves as the cornerstone of the future of any relationship a woman may have with those around her. The mother-daughter relationship holds the internal working model of attachment, which dictates a woman’s connection with others.

This effect also makes sense considering that mothers and daughters may have shared experiences, which scales up to form such a bias and cause mothers to favor their daughters (while fathers favor their sons) (2). Additionally, a mother’s mental health proves to be a vital marker in determining her daughter’s potential mental health conditions (3).

The relationship between mother and daughter is the most valuable connection a woman enjoys in her life. And given the role of maternal figures in translating valuable emotions and life skills like empathy, kindness, and affection, it can be the foundation of how society performs as a whole.

Now let us look at what a healthy relationship between mothers and daughters look like.

Traits Of A Healthy Mother-Daughter Relationship

• They acknowledge each other as individuals and spend adequate time –  neither too much nor too little. The mother-daughter duo recognizes and respects boundaries. They make reasonable commitments to each other and come through on them.
• They accept each other the way they are rather than forcing them to conform to a particular set of ideals.
• They can disagree without being disrespectful.
• Most of their conversations are open and honest, without guilt-tripping the other into doing or saying something they would not engage in on their own volition.
• Both contribute equally to the relationship, and none of the parties bear the upper hand.
• Mothers should allow their daughters to experience (and overcome) failures, while daughters should encourage mothers to widen their horizons and push their mental barriers.

In contrast to what we have seen in the previous section, here are the signs of a toxic mother-daughter relationship.

Signs Of Dysfunctional Mother-Daughter Relationships

• You are quick to pass judgment or be judged, and most of the criticism is harsh and counter-productive. Being dismissive of each other’s actions or emotions.
• There is no proper bonding; instead, the relationship is extremely taxing on one’s emotions, time, and attention.
• Off-hand, distasteful, or unwarranted jokes about hurtful things.
• If your relationship constantly involves drama, it is far from healthy.
• A toxic mother-daughter relationship makes you the source of happiness, which can come at the cost of your mental health.
• You feel helpless when it comes to setting boundaries or standing up for yourself.

Marcie Boyer, an existential life coach and blogger, shared that she had an unnatural relationship with her mother, where her mother was overly protective of her. She explains that this happened because her mother was forced to abort her, and she somehow survived it. She states in her blog post, “Throughout childhood, my mother would spend hours listening to me breathe while I slept to make sure that I was still alive. Growing up, she obsessively worried for my safety (i).”

• You find yourself constantly bickering with each other instead of having healthy communication.
• Involve problematic parenting behaviors, such as gaslighting, manipulation, guilt-tripping, and minimizing.

Quick Tip

It has been found that daughters who have insecure bonds with their mothers during infancy are more likely to have psychological problems when they grow up (4).

These are some signs of dysfunctional mother-and-daughter relationships. Now let us see what happens to a mother-daughter relationship when a daughter hurts her mother.

When A Daughter Hurts Her Mother

Relationships between mothers and daughters are often deep and intricate, making any hurtful experience especially painful. When a daughter hurts her mother, their relationship is shattered, and intense emotional suffering results. It can be a complex and emotionally challenging situation for both of them. It is essential to communicate, understand, and have empathy in this scenario. Both must openly share their feelings, seeking resolution through dialogue and patience. Sometimes, identifying underlying issues, such as differing perspectives, unmet expectations, and miscommunication, helps heal wounds. Also, forgiveness and a dedication to a more solid, long-lasting relationship are necessary for rebuilding trust.

Relationships between mothers and daughters can be broadly classified into the following categories.

Types Of Mother-Daughter Relationships

1. The BFF Duo

Becoming good friends with your mother or daughter has more perks than earning a friend for life. Such a relationship rests on the pillars of trust, love, and mutual respect, where mothers and daughters freely express themselves and share emotional experiences. It instills the confidence that your mother or daughter will always be there for you for support, advice, or to lend an ear.

2. The Detached Strangers

Here, the mother and daughter hardly know anything about each other’s lives because they choose not to get involved or do not care enough despite being family. Either way, disengagement makes the relationship strained and can lead to poor mental health.

3. The Enmeshed

While detached mother-daughter relationships sever the cord, enmeshed relationships compact them into one. It is one of the most toxic forms of relationships as it sets unrealistic expectations that result in devaluation.

The mother fails to respect boundaries and tries to seek validation through her daughter. On the other hand, the daughter feels pressured into living up to her mother’s expectations regardless of her desires.

Therefore, both of them lose their identity and individuality, leading to a relationship breakdown. This attachment style is common in abusive mother-daughter relationships where one is narcissistic, and the other is co-dependent.

4. The Control Freak

It may be hard to differentiate between enmeshed and controlling mother-daughter relationships. However, both are not the same. While a mother may push her daughter to perform better, a controlling one will shrink her passions or desires. Some may even try to pass off this behavior under the guise of being protective. It restricts the child, limits their potential, and takes away their independence.

5. The Discard-Dismisser

We find one-sided rejection in this kind of difficult mother-daughter relationship. The dismissive action can be due to apathy or because the mother or daughter is impossibly hard to please. It leaves them longing for recognition and appreciation for the efforts they put into the relationship.

6. The Helicopter Tyrant

“Why? Because I said so”. If these words sound far too familiar, you have a mother who conceives herself as the ultimate authority. While they may have the best intentions at heart, the constant micromanaging, criticism, and interference make the mother and the daughter feel that any deviation from this pattern will result in failure. As a result, the mother-daughter relationship turns parasitic.

7. The Roles Reverse

Children have to parent their kids with time. If the daughter acts like a responsible adult from an early age, while the mother behaves like a sibling or liability more than a parent, the mother-daughter relationship is dysfunctional. Such a relationship is common in daughters of mothers who are young, immigrant, alcoholic, or depressive.

Healthy mother-daughter relationships will give rise to confident, compassionate, caring, and empowered women. On the flipside, troubled relationships can set the stage for a range of emotional and mental issues.

Effects Of A Toxic Mother-Daughter Relationship

• Poor Self-Esteem: An abusive mother-daughter relationship can normalize bad behavior and set the bar too low for interpersonal relationships. Being treated unfairly will have both parties doubt themselves and negatively affect their self-esteem.
• Depression: Emotional distance or detachment can lead to mental health issues like depression.
• Commitment Issues: The mother-daughter relationship breakdown can make them wary of those around them. This dysfunctional bond leaves behind deep-rooted insecurities that may reflect into other relationships.
• Poor Conduct: Emotionally abusive relationships between mothers and daughters can breed unresolved resentment, jealousy, and hostility, leading to unreasonable and unpardonable actions.

Even if you have a thriving relationship with your mother or daughter, there’s always room to improve it. Here are some actionable tips on how to foster a healthy mother-daughter relationship.

How To Improve Mother-Daughter Relationships

• Be the first to extend the white flag rather than waiting for the other to make the first move. If your attempts are met with silence, learn to give up and sever the cords when necessary.
  Since you cannot control how the other person reacts or behaves, healing must start with the self. So work on yourself first.
• Encourage the willingness to change and create an environment where you contribute to each other’s personal growth.
• Set realistic expectations on the kind of relationship you wish to have. Role modeling can help set examples. Be pragmatic about the same as behavioral changes may take a while to show effect.
• Learn each other’s love language and find ways to express care in a manner that influences the other.
• Try to incorporate transparent and open-ended conversations to put across your point without triggering defensiveness.
• If you find the situation escalating, declare that you wish to discuss this issue later. This will help you manage your emotions effectively.
• Foster an ecosystem of trust, especially during the tough adolescent phase, so that the relationships between mother and daughter stay honest throughout.
• Learn the art of active listening by echoing the other person’s concerns. Let them know that you are comprehending their intent and emotions.
• Gain an outsider’s perspective or put yourself in the other’s shoes to empathize with their condition and respect their feelings.
• If you cannot reconcile your differences, try to forgive the other person without condoning, minimizing, or pardoning the core issue.
• Maintain the subtle balance of staying close and connected without compromising on your individuality and beliefs.
• Establish healthy boundaries so that you can assert separateness in case of toxic mother-daughter relationships.
• Become comfortable with the idea that some issues may not resolve, and you may end up in a deadlock where you agree to disagree with each other.
• Rather than dredging up things from the past, prevent any further relationship breakdown by focusing on the present.
• Follow the 20-second rule. Put forward your perspective in 20 seconds or less during a conflict. Then, allow the other party to speak about their experience in the next 20 seconds. This technique enables you to stay on track of the current conflict than digressing.
• Stay respectful towards each other even during a conflict or disagreement. Aim for quick conflict resolution and avoid involving third parties for resolution or badmouthing the other.
• Set aside a fixed date, time, and schedule for routine mother-daughter hangout sessions.

Trivia

“The Joy Luck Club”, “Mamma Mia”, “Raising Helen”, “Dumplin”, “Brave”, and “Turning Red” are a few movies that you can watch to understand the different types of mom and daughter relationships.

Infographic: How To Raise Strong Daughters

While it is important to build a good bond with daughters, it is also necessary to help them build strong character and personalities. The world out there is harsh and full of challenges. Check out the infographic below to learn how to raise strong daughters who can stand their ground and face all challenges head-on.

Illustration: StyleCraze Design Team

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you deal with a hurtful daughter?

There is a common phase in teenage life where children just do not get along with their parents and often say or do things that parents find hard to deal with. It could be helpful to go back to your teenage years and realize that all children want is to fit in, be heard, feel valued, and be appreciated. If your daughter is acting out, it might be because she wants someone to listen. So reach out and try to be there for her in whatever ways she needs you.

Why are mother-daughter relationships so hard?

Mother-daughter relationships can be hard sometimes because of the differences in perspective and ideologies. Growing up, most daughters are the spitting image of their mothers – not just in appearance but also in how they carry themselves. However, as daughters grow older, they may become more independent and view the world differently, which could stir some tension in the mother-daughter dynamics.

What can daughters do if they feel their mother is too controlling or critical?

Daughters can first try to understand where it comes from. Mothers might behave in a controlling manner if they have poor self-esteem, insecurities, or traumatic experiences from the past which might be leading them to be overbearing and critical of their children. The best way to address the situation is to ‘talk it out’, make her sit down, and have a chat with her. Try assuring her that you love her and want to have a life of your own.

What can mothers do if they feel their daughter is distant or unresponsive?

The first and foremost thing a mother should do is communicate it to her daughter and try to understand where it comes from. Whether it is because your daughter feels you are restricting her freedom, not tending to her emotional needs, or being verbally abusive. By understanding the issues and reflecting on them, you can build a healthy relationship.

Image: Stable Diffusion/StyleCraze Design Team

This heartwarming video beautifully captures the bond between a mother and daughter, reminding us all of the unconditional love, as well as shared laughter and tears that truly define family. Check it out!

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Dr. Chloe CarmichaelLicensed Clinical Psychologist

     

Dr. Chloe Carmichael is a licensed clinical psychologist with 10 years of experience. She specializes in stress management, relationship issues, self-esteem, and coaching. She earned her BA in Psychology from Columbia University and has a doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Long Island University. She has also served as adjunct faculty at the City University of New York and instructed undergraduate...more

Sneha TeteBeauty & Lifestyle Writer

Sneha has a master's degree in Applied Linguistics from the University of Hyderabad, a professional Relationship Coach diploma, and over four years of experience in writing. She writes about relationships and lifestyle. Sneha began her career as an instructional designer, shifted to freelance technical and research writing, and self-published a novella on the theme of adolescent mental health. She also...more

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Gracia Odile is a teacher-turned-beauty and lifestyle writer with three years of professional experience. She has a bachelor's degree in English from St. Stephen's College, a master's in Anthropology from the University of Madras, and a degree in education from GGSIPU. She is passionate about understanding the intricacies of human interaction in various cultural contexts. Her empathetic approach and captivating writing...more