It's harder to be a teen girl now than ever. This expert has advice on how moms can help them handle the rough stuff.

Vivian Manning Schaffel: I thought it was tough being a female teen back in the 80s, but at least back then there was no way my privates or other biznazz would end up all over Facebook.

Dr. Jennifer Austin Leigh, a.k.a "Dr. Jenn," founder and CEO of Ignite Reality LLC, and Honor The Girl, a website that gives mothers advice in raising teen girls, dished out some pointers on how to show your teen you have her back before she goes back to school:

Get to know the kid. Dr. Jenn says parents are often disillusioned about who their children really are, instead seeing them as who they want them to be. If you accept your child for who she really is, she's more likely to accept herself as well.

Shut up and listen. Moms are (in)famous for talking at their daughters, not listening to them. "When moms start saying ' I told her so' daughters tune them out," says Dr. Jenn. Reclaim your power as a parent and learn to be a better listener. Start a conversation about having more conversations. Ask open-ended questions about their lives and be ready to hear the truth. "You can give kids advice until your blue in the face, but they have to experience life and make their own mistakes," says Jenn.

Acknowledge their issues. With so much sex consuming today's culture, girls in their teens are facing intense pressure to grow up really, really fast. "The reality is that teen girls face an enormous amount of pressure that generations before them have not experienced," says Dr. Jenn. "Instead of telling them what to do and how to act, say, 'It's a crazy world out there, and I know that. How can I best be helpful to you? How can we create a relationship so that you feel safe enough to tell me what to need to when you need help? How can I best partner with you this year?"

Check in with your daughter every so often; don't just wait for her to come to you. It shows her that you are there for her and that you'd like to work with her to find solutions to her issues.

Vivian Manning-Schaffel has written for Babble, Parenting, The Advocate, The New York Post, Business Week and a variety of other publications and lives and works in the heart of breeder Brooklyn with her husband and two kids. She authors two pop culture blogs: The Mad Mom and A Hag Supreme, and is on the web at vivianmanningschaffel.com.