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Aunties are just as important as mums when raising young women, according to parenting expert
An ode to all the aunties out there
Listen up, Aunties: You might be playing a more substantial role in your nieces life than you might have once believed.
A parenting expert has given his opinion on the importance of aunties in young girls’ lives and, in his professional opinion, these women play a massive role in their growth and development.
Speaking on the Parental As Everything podcast, psychologist and author of Raising Girls And 10 Things Girls Need Most Steve Biddulph explained why aunties, or similar figures, are actually crucial for young women.
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He explained: “One of the things that we know is that, for example, something every twelve year old girl knows for sure is that she doesn’t wanna turn out like her mum.
“This is sad, I’m not taking any joy in this, but there are phases when they don’t want to listen to you, but they still need lots of help.
“Aunties are a pillar of mental health for girls. It doesn’t have to be a blood relation, it’s just somebody around your mum’s age who loves you too.”
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Biddulph, who lectures worldwide on parenting and education, also offered some advice to anybody who has a niece or a close friend’s daughter they can take under their wing.
He suggested that when the child hits the age of about eight, aunties should invite them around to their house for sleepovers and lunch dates without their parents, so that a bond can be built independently.
He added that once that bond is established they should ask deep and meaningful questions, as well as broach the topics of boys and relationships – something they might not want to confide to their mums about.