We loved this list from Huffpost Women about advice we should pass on to young women as they enter adulthood. It's great advice for anyone at that tumultuous transition from adolescence to young adulthood. Still, it's heartening to see so many empowering messages addressed specifically to young women when they might most need inspiration, encouragement and words of wisdom.
It's also nice to see a focus on real-world advice to set young women up for success, as well as an embracing what truly makes each young woman wonderful and powerful. Check out an excerpt and the list of tips, and click through to read an explanation of each tip.
huffingtonpost.com - I'm no expert on teenage girls, aside from the fact that I was one once -- but I gained a 17-year-old daughter a few summers ago, and as the mother of two young boys I wasn't 100 percent sure what to expect. Most people told me it was going to end horribly (including a few members of her family), but it turned out to be a pleasant surprise, and that summer was as much a learning experience for me as it was for her.
I learned that if kids are given the opportunity to rise to the occasion, they most likely will. She was amazing and made me truly believe that our future is quite bright with lovely ladies like these on the verge of entering the adult world. I could make a list a mile long, but a lot of life is best learned along the way, so they'll get there. For now, here are 10 pieces of advice for her and others just like her to get adulthood started off right:
1. Get your college degree.
I'm serious. Live there, commute, or go back to school if you've quit, but just get your college degree. The wage gap is real. The differences will be subtle in the first few years, but once you're in your 30s, the wage gap is very, very real and will get exponentially larger over time. Also, education matters -- imagine what would happen to racism, sexism, and crime in this country if we had more educated citizens? Be one of them.
The tips:
1. Get your college degree. 2. When in college, pick a major that will get you a job. 3. If you have something nice to say, say it. 4. Keep your credit score impeccable. 5. Self-confidence is sexy as hell. 6. Get rid of the frenemies. 7. Don't assume that because someone has money, they have class. 8. Men are terrified of you. 9. Your parents love you, no matter what. 10. Be a beautiful person.
Read more about every tip here!