Customer Reviews

Girls Will Be Girls: Raising Confident and Courageous Daughters

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Enlightening, provocative and powerful, this is perhaps the most useful book on raising daughters that I have ever read. In the book Deak covers the problems, confusion, motivations and fears that are all a normal part of growing up female. But more than just noting that they exist and their basis, she also provides practical advice on how to deal with the problems in a proactive and productive manner.

The book follows the expected logical pattern of moving from the basics of perspective through the normal growing up process. First are the formative years, then preadolescent, then adolescent years. Of special interest, she includes chapters on the special relationship between daughters and their mother as well as one on the relationship between daughters and their father and one of dealing with the normal fears and worries of being parents. Each chapter has comments from girls at that age or referring to the subject of the chapter as well as the defining or "crucible" events that occur during that age or relationship.

If there were one book that I would recommend to anyone raising a girl in today's world, this would be the one that I would recommend. It stands like a lighthouse warning parents of dangerous shoals and how to avoid them as well as offering guidance on how to help their daughters negotiate dangerous waters and come out safe. This book truly lives up to the title and empowers parents with the tools to mold young girls into confident, courageous and well-adjusted adult women.

Those of us who are parents/relatives, educators, or mentors of girls have become increasingly aware of the difficulties that young women face as they mature from the stage of irrepressible confidence to the insecurities of adolescence and young adulthood. And while girls do walk a constant balance beam, tilting back and forth between doing and being too much or too little, the adults in their lives are right there behind them--wondering whether they should under-react or over-react. But one thing is certain--they are reacting, often out of panic or the need to control the uncontrollable!

JoAnn Deak is there on the balance beam with us all. Thanks to her experience in schools and expertise as a counselor, she presents comprehensible insights regarding physical and psychological issues, along with memorable anecdotes and solid advice to help us approach the complexities rationally. When we have finished reading, we know more about the girls and how best to support them. And we also understand more about ourselves.

I've been waiting for such a book for a long time!

I truly enjoyed this practical, funny, touching and true guide to parenting girls from a real expert. She really knows how to keep your attention with real stories and get her point across with humor and detail. We can all learn how to help our girls grow up to be the women we all wanted to be.

I am simply bewildered at the rave reviews this book has received. Perhaps Dr. Deak is a better speaker than writer, but I have found little useful in this book, and (as a biologist) am frankly annoyed at her ignorance about hormones, dendrites, and even attachment theory. It's just a rambling string of stories from her own childhood and experience as a school counselor, without any original insight for handling my daughters. It also really bugs me how she under-rates girls' math and physics abilities, saying "girls tend to like arithmetic more than mathematics"--whatever that means. I'll confess I'm only halfway through, but don't think I can stomach any more of the stereotyping, pointless anecdotes, and obvious parenting tips.

No matter how much you think your daughter will always tell you everything, think again. Even I can recall a few times while growing up, where I either kept something from my mother, or did something without her knowing. Even if you think you have a great relationship with your daughter, all you can do is teach her right from wrong and hope she follows through.

In the book, "Girls Will Be Girls," readers will find themselves absorbing so much information! If you have a daughter, you will get answers to some sticky situations, find solutions to some difficult problems, and learn how to learn more about your daughter and what she is going through in her life. Each chapter includes very helpful "Pearls for Parents and Pearls for Girls," which are truly great "pearls" of wisdom.

MyParenTime.com highly recommends the book, "Girls Will Be Girls" - it's a joy to read (not only if you have a daughter), informative, and will guide parents and their daughters on how to make the most of their relationship :).

Girls Will be Girls is an excellent look at the struggles girls go through to reach adulthood, and how the adults in their lives can be there to help guide them through the murky times. What I loved about this book is that while it accurately portrayed the pain and difficulties of adolescence and tween years, Deak applauds girls' strength, courage, and ability to use their resources and friendships to find their way through. She gives solutions for helping to guide them through the difficulties that await them, yet Deak does not just dwell on the bad. She celebrates all that these ages have to offer. I found this book very relevant and helpful and have recommended it to many friends.

A private school that serves economically disadvantaged adolescents required volunteers to read this book before engaging in a 6th and 7th grade girl's book club. The book does a great job explaining the scientific difference between the male and female brain. With that knowledge in hand, the author then advises the reader how to help girls thrive during the tough adolescent and teenage years. She gives specific examples of the challenges girls face and sound advice on how to help them make wise choices for themselves. I highly recommend the book to any parent or teacher.

Not exactly what I expected. I was looking for something targeted to younger age (5-teens) to start with, and something with more practical advice on how to deal with certain stages and issues. This books deals with older gils and it is written in the language that is hard to read.

This is truly a much needed book. It covers a wide spectrum of ages from about 6-16. This book would have been so helpful to me when raising my own daughter who is turning 20. Some of the topics covered are, how to negotiate the gray areas, girls and their often confusing moods and emotions, to rein her in or turn her loose, cliques, and the mother-daughter relationship.
One great chapter is entitled "Father and Daughters: Soul Mates, Strangers, and a Delicate Dance".
I am purchasing copies for friends who are raising girls. I can't think of a more important gift!

This book was referred to me by a child psychologist in California(helping my daughter deal with my divorce) when I was trying to get an understanding of the "tweens" behavior. It's been a great reference for me, and I just bought this copy for my ex-husband. As we only have one daughter, and times are different today than when I grew up, I am lacking the experience in parenting to understand a teenage girl. I think it's a fantastic book.