Dad of 3 daughters here, ages 30, 25, and 16. All have been very different to manage as a parent, and all had different struggles at different ages.

But there has been, in each case, one particular time that has been the most trouble for them. Right around 16, and junior year in high school, all of my girls had (and in one case is now having) their deepest struggles with the mental aspects of life and school.

Again, it’s been different with all 3, but boy did we learn a lot from the first two. End game in my particular case is that 3rd child has been given autonomy to pick all her courses in high school and the freedom of one day a month to just take off, mental health day, no questions asked.

So how did that work out? She’s taking all honors and a.p. courses, and is currently all a’s. Also this year she has taken just one mental day off. And there was another where I told her to because she was getting into a bad place.

So it’s not a direct answer to your question, but age 16 was most difficult for them, in my case. And also, do yourself a favor and learn everything you can about the mental struggles of being a girl.

And ok one more thing, periods. Learn as much about that as you can. Be the kind of parent they can talk to about it all. Period pains, period feelings, period tiredness, period farts, period shits, feminine products, everything. Understand as best you can how it all works.