Raising a strong, self-confident, young lady in today’s society at sometimes can be a challenge. There’s not necessarily a road map or instruction guide to help mothers ensure that their little girl will grow up to be resilient and able to take on the world.

Yet even though there’s no step-by-step manual, here are some things that mothers can make sure not to do to make sure that their daughter’s grow up to sit in the alpha seat.

Limit her interests based on gender
Girls buy pink and boys buy blue…who said?!? Strong girls need to know that their interests can cross gender stereotypes. If she wants to play with a toolbox instead of a Barbie doll, so be it! Let her know that she can do both Tae Kwon Do and ballet and that there is nothing wrong with it. Don’t give her the subliminal message that certain things are not for girls.

Discourage questions
Questioning creates strong, smart women. That are able to think, process, and observe, and understand the world around them. There are no dumb questions. Encourage your daughter to ask away and if you don’t know the answer, investigate together!

Limit her fashion sense
Just like not limiting interests based on gender, don’t limit her fashion sense based on gender as well. Shop until you drop in all sections of the store. You may never know how she just might rock a new style.

Solve her problems for her
This one is a tough one for any parent, but step back and let your daughter solve her own problems. In the end, she will learn much more from the process than merely watching mom figure it out. Be there for her if she needs a sounding board, but remember you are not raising a damsel in distress, you are raising a queen who is coming to slay.

Teach her to back down from a challenge
Not everything in life is going to be easy and it is up to mom to teach her daughter to confront every challenge head on. Teaching girls to step up and try will give them courage to not only confront a situation and win but it will also teach them to try until they succeed.