If you’re like most women, you probably speak to your mother or daughter (or both!) at least once a week and cover routine topics like “How’s the weather?” and “Did you see the news today?” or “How’s the dog?” And if one of you has been sick of not feeling well, you may ask “How are you feeling?”
But despite how often mothers and daughter talk and the range of topics they cover, new research by the National Osteoporosis Foundation reveals that while 91 percent of mothers and daughters find it easy to communicate, most conversations only skim the surface and rarely ever cover deep and meaningful topics.
NOF recently launched Generations of Strength: A Mothers and Daughters Campaign to help mothers and daughters take their conversations to the next level because open and honest communications is the best foundation to share clear and trusted advice and pass along the inspiration to live better, enjoy better health, form more meaningful relationships and more from one generation to the next.
Here are five questions you can pass along to help your readers take their conversations to a new level and truly get to know and learn from the most important women in their lives.
1.Get some perspective: How have things changed for better or for worse for women my age compared to what you struggled with? (Asking questions about what mom has dealt with when she was your age will help you put things into perspective, show you why your mom approaches situations in her everyday life the way she does and will give you insight on how she will react to the decisions you make in your own life)
2.What does the future hold?: What are you looking forward to in the next decade? (Understanding what mom’s hopes and dreams are allows you to help her make those dreams a reality and will help clue you in on what may end up being most important to you in your future.)
3.Know what worked for her: What small decisions have you made throughout your life that added up to make a big difference? (Mom’s had a lot of successes and probably a lot of pitfalls along the way…knowing her path can help you avoid repeating the same mistakes and identify the decisions you can make along the way that will ultimately lead to success and happiness.)
4.Have a “healthy” conversation: Do we have any family health conditions that I should be thinking about now? (Many times mom is the best knowledge-keeper of the family health log – just talking with her may lead you to know what hereditary health conditions run in your family and give you time to take preventative measures (i.e. osteoporosis, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, etc)
5.Make it about yourself: What do you think some of my best/worst traits are now and when I was growing up? (Mom probably knows you better than you know yourself and is the only person who can be beautifully and brutally honest with you. Take advantage of that and learn about yourself through your mom’s eyes.)
After asking these five questions and taking their mother daughter conversations to the next level, ask your readers to share a favorite mother-daughter moment online through the Let’s Get Talking Contest (http://www.nof.org/
here is a tip, get the grandma involved!, The Grandma usually has the the wisdom to see both sides.