GSA

New Website for Parents of Daughters

A new website, aimed at the parents of daughters, was launched on Fri 9th January 2009 by the Girls’ Schools Association (GSA).

New GSA President Jill Berry said ‘We believe this is the first website offering advice specifically for parents of daughters – both mothers and fathers.’

mydaughter.co.uk will offer advice on the educating and raising of girls up to school- leaving age. It will contain advice and guidance on issues such as education choices; realising girls’ full academic potential; recognising eating disorders and signs of bullying; development stages; relationships; social pressures; social networking sites and internet safety; and communicating with teenage girls.

In 2007, the GSA commissioned McCann Erickson to conduct research across the country into how parents go about choosing schools for their daughters. The research found that many parents welcomed the idea of one source of advice for selecting schools for their daughters but also wanted help in dealing with concerns particularly affecting teenage girls, such as body image, internet safety, drugs, celebrity ‘role models’ and the influence of the media.

Jill Berry, GSA president for 2009 and Head of Dame Alice Harpur School in Bedford, said, ‘As teachers and heads, we have had thousands of girls pass through our care. There’s not much that GSA heads don’t know about dealing with girls. Many of us are parents, too. We think that we are particularly well placed to offer the sort of objective, up-to-date information and advice that parents tell us they are looking for in the raising and educating of their daughters.

‘We decided to create this new website in response to parents’ concerns, and hope that it gives them the sort of help they are looking for. There is no doubt that many mothers and fathers are worried about getting the balance right between their daughters realising their academic potential while at the same time being happy and safe.

‘mydaughter.co.uk aims to unlock and share the GSA’s expertise and experience in educating and caring for girls. In doing so, we hope it will demonstrate the value of girls’ schools but it is, of course, offered to all parents of daughters, whether or not they choose to send their daughters to one of our schools.’

The section on ‘Educating your daughter’ includes tips for parents on education choices and development stages from under 5 through to 18 plus. It features case studies written by parents and students, independent research reports and a schools directory.

The section on ‘Raising your daughter’ includes advice on relationships with friends and family; social pressures such as sexual relationships, drugs and alcohol, food and diet, bullying and self-esteem; personal and internet safety, and self-discovery.

The site also offers an interactive forum for those who register with mydaughter.co.uk.