Mommy dearest: Goldie Hawn and Kate Hudson are a famous mother-daughter double act

When my four-year-old daughter strokes my hair and tells me I'm the prettiest mummy in the whole-wide-world, I know I'm the centre of her world. In my dreams, it would stay that way forever...

But there's no getting away from it, by the time she's 13 she'll think I'm a she-devil, the one person standing in the way of her freedom and self expression. So how do we ensure that by the time they're grown-ups, our daughters are our best friends again?

We talked to two grown-up women who have seemingly perfect relationships with their mums and asked how, and why, they think they've got it right.

Sarah, who's 38 and her mum Gillian, 71, have always had a good relationship, but when Sarah struggled after the birth of her first child, the relationship was really put to the test. As Sarah explains: "I had Post Natal Depression. I was really struggling and my husband was working long hours. I realised I needed the support my mother could give me. Our relationship is much closer now and the other day she told me I was her 'little pal' - I'm 37!"

These days, Sarah would describe her mum as one of her best friends. "I like to think my husband is my best friend but she's definitely up there. We live near each other and like to go shopping and have a gossip. I tell her everything that I would tell other friends."

Laura, 41 from South London, relies on her mum Violet, who's 74, to look after her three-year-old son while she works. Having a strong relationship with her mum is vital to Laura: "Without my mum I quite simply wouldn't be able to work, as I can't afford full-time childcare, and there's nobody else that my son would feel comfortable staying with."

So what was it that Laura's mum did that's allowed them to remain so close? For Laura and Violet the key their successful relationship is in the fine line between allowing a child to experience the world, and always being there with advice: "It's definitely a balance. I think she's given me the freedom to make my own mistakes - she's never really interfered as such, but she's always made her feelings clear if she thinks I'm taking the wrong path."

We asked Sue Ormesher at the national parenting charity Parentlineplus what advice she would give to mothers to ensure they have develop a positive relationship with their daughters: "The most important thing is to keep the channels of communication open from when they're pre-teens. That way, they should know that they can always come to you to talk if they need to."

And what about if you feel your relationship with your daughter has hit rock bottom? "One thing we try and instil in all parents, is that most families do come through the bad patches. Just remember to keep talking - even if your daughter doesn't want to talk to you - and hopefully it will pay off."

If you need more advice call Parentlineplus on 0808 800 2222 or visit their website http://www.parentlineplus.org.uk/.