100 things I want my daughter to know

So while browsing through Pinterest this evening I stumbled upon a lovely and heartfelt blog called lisajobaker.com, and in particular, a list she wrote called 100 things I want to teach my daughter. Her list is beautiful, and includes some things that I think are important for every girl to know, but as I sat there and read it, I realised there were a lot of things not on the list that I would like Miss K to know before I let her out in the big bad world all on her own. So tonight it is my turn to create a list of 100 things I want my daughter to know.

1. Love your body no matter what. It is the only one you will get and you must carry it with you for the rest of your life
2. Take care of your teeth, for the love of God, please take care of your teeth
3. Laugh lots. Laugh as much as you can, it is a better medicine than Valium
4. Never let anyone make you think you are worthless
5. Telling the truth is ALWAYS easier than lying, no matter what the consequences may be
6. Chocolate fixes everything
7. Don't let yourself become a man's late night booty call, you are worth much more than that
8. Lessons on life and love don't come from the movies, they come from the people around you
9. I am always just a phone call away
10. Try new things, even if they terrify you
11. Always make sure your house is clean enough that if guests arrive unannounced, you're not ashamed to let them in the door
12. Treat yourself the way you want others to treat you
13. Never regret your decisions, if you hadn't made them you wouldn't be the person you are now
14. Everything happens for a reason
15. Eating sensibly is only boring if you don't want to live to old age
16. You are never too old to go down the slide, but you get to a certain age where you can't go on the swings without feeling sick
17. Always remember your manners. Nothing impresses a person more than someone who says please and thankyou
18. If you can almost see your nipples and your crotch at the same time, your dress is too small
19. Don't be afraid to tell me anything. I've usually seen it, done it or wrote the book on it
20. Sex can ALWAYS wait. Trust me, the first time is always terrible so why rush it?
21. NEVER change yourself just to please someone else, if they can't like you for who you are then they aren't worth your time
22. If a guy doesn't call you, he's either not interested or playing hard to get. Either way don't waste your time waiting for him
23. Make sure you marry a guy who can make you laugh. If he doesn't understand your sense of humour he will never truly know you
24. You will never understand true pain until you have gone through childbirth. Then you will lose all sympathy for the Man Flu
25. Don't fall in love with a guy because he is wounded and needs healing. You are not Florence Nightingale, you have better things to do with your life than to prop up a man
26. Don't be afraid to go shopping or to the movies by yourself. Sometimes that's the best company to go with
27. If your boyfriends don't treat you the way you deserve to be treated, I'm going to hate them. Be warned
28. Life is not a race. There is always time to stop and appreciate the little things
29. Make time for your family no matter what. They've seen you at your worst and still love you to bits
30. Everything I have ever done to you and for you, I did with your best interests at heart, even if it didn't seem like it at the time
31. One day you are going to have children of your own. And I am going to sit back and laugh my ass off
32. Make up and pretty clothes are not just for special occasions
33. You can never appreciate everything your parents do for you until you have children of your own
34. Marry someone who you can scream and yell at yet still be unable to imagine your life without them
35. Laugh at yourself before anyone else has a chance to
36. You cannot stop people talking about you behind your back. But you can take their power away if you refuse to let their words hurt you
37. Punctuality is an important skill to learn
38. You can cover yourself in tattoos and I will still love you, but just remember these things are permanent so make sure it is something you will still love in sixty years time
39. Learn every short cut you can to make life easier
40. The roads are full of arseholes. That does not give you permission to drive like one
41. Spontaneous road trips are sometimes the most fun ones
42. Don't be afraid to cry. It doesn't mean you are weak, it means that you have been strong for too long
43. If you don't like something about your life, then it is up to you to change it
44. The sexiest thing you can ever wear is a smile
45. Even when you are a grown woman, I will always be here to hold you when you cry
46. Never be afraid to stand up for what you believe in
47. Don't be in a hurry to grow up. You're an adult for a very long time so what's the rush?
48. NEVER give in to peer pressure. If a person will only like you if you drink, smoke or do anything else that you don't feel comfortable about, then they aren't real friends
49. Always trust your instincts, you have them for a reason
50. I don't just tell you that you're beautiful because I'm your mum, I tell you that you are beautiful because you are, both inside and out
51. Girls can do everything that boys can do, but that doesn't mean they should. So always sit down when you use the toilet
52. You only fail if you never try
53. Learn to cook something more than two minute noodles
54. You may bug the hell out of me sometimes, and we will most likely have a lot of fights, but if anyone else tries to hurt you, I will rip them apart with my bare hands
55. You will possibly be diagnosed with depression at some stage in your life. This is nothing to be ashamed of. And because you come from a long line of nutters, you will always have someone around who you can talk to about this
56. Pets are a lot of work. Don't get one unless you're prepared to put in the effort to keep them alive. Trust me it is harder than it looks
57. Don't listen to the people who spend their live telling people about all the things in this world that can kill you. We are all mortals and we will all die eventually. Why this is still a shock to some people I will never know
58. Never dumb yourself down to make other people feel smart. Be proud of your own intelligence
59. Treat others the way you would like to be treated
60. Always respect your elders. They have had to do a lot of learning to get to where they are today
61. Don't let anyone else's mood affect your own
62. Work to live, don't live to work. There is more to life than your job
63. Always get at least seven hours of sleep a night
64. You may think I don't understand what it is like to have your life, but trust me, I know more than you realise
65. A good book is the best escape
66. There is nothing more satisfying than seeing the rewards at the end of hard work
67. Don't be afraid to admit that you were wrong
68. The best way to find out about something is to ask
69. Some of the best fun in life can be had in a crowded elevator
70. Once you have children, time seems to speed up. Enjoy every moment you can with your child because they can't last forever
71. $3,000 is too much to pay for a handbag
72. Get your eyebrows done by a professional. It saves having to explain to people why you look so confused all the time
73. No matter what the magazines may tell you, you do NOT need plastic surgery
74. Make sure your bra and your shoes are fitted properly. It saves a lot of unnecessary pain
75. I don't care how they make it look in the movies, dancing in the rain isn't romantic, it's cold, wet and uncomfortable
76. Good friends are hard to find, treat them properly
77. Learn first aid. If your aunty hadn't done a course in CPR, you might not have made it past your first two weeks
78. Just because a person looks or acts differently, doesn't mean you shouldn't treat them the same as everyone else
79. The best way to end an argument is to start laughing
80. You were fearless as a baby, stay fearless as an adult
81. Try to learn at least one instrument. Music is one of the most beautiful things you can create
82. You will never be perfect. Accept this fact and move on
83. Learn to accept constructive criticism
84. Always accept compliments, but never expect them
85. We all have ugly days. The best way to fix them is put a smile on your face and just keep going
86. There are going to be times when life just feels too hard. You will get through it, and your family will always be here help you
87. Don't be afraid of being alone
88. Don't be afraid to make mistakes. Always make sure you learn something from them though
89. You can't change other people, no matter how hard you try
90. There is a huge difference between a need and a want. Learn them well
91. Don't be afraid to dance as if no one is watching. Even if you are in the middle of a supermarket
92. Love is like a fart. If you have to force it, it's probably crap
93. Don't be afraid to shake hands like a man. There is nothing worse than someone with a weak, wobbly handshake
94. You are going to hate the fact that when you are a teenager I'm going to refuse to be your taxi service, maid and general dogsbody. But when you get out into the real world and realise that these services aren't free, and it's cheaper knowing how to do things by yourself, then you will thank me for this
95. You can do or be anything that you want to, as long as you are prepared to do the dirty work 
96. Never do something just to get attention. You will always get the unwanted kind if you do this
97. Learn to be sensible with your money. It can buy a lot of things, but not if you don't have any
98. Sometimes being a woman bites the big one. But the rest of the time you should be proud of being female and of everything that that means
99. One of the hardest things you will ever have to deal with is loss. It hurts and it sucks. But surround yourself with people who love you and care for you and everything will be OK in the end. 

And the last thing I want my daughter to know:

100. No matter what happens, you will always be my baby girl and I love you to bits and pieces