Customer Reviews

Secret Keeper Girl Kit

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My daughter (10) and I invited three of her friends and their moms to join us as we journey through this book and its companion, Secret Keeper: The Delicate Power of Modesty. As a small group, we are having so much fun and learning so much about each other. We meet one week and discuss the concepts from the books and plan our date and then we have our date on another night. We are planning this as a year-long journey, so there is no rush.

If you are interested in using this in a small group environment, I would recommend limiting the numbers to 3 or 4 additional girls and their respective moms. Our girls all know each other, but coincidentally they do not attend the same school, church or social events. Therefore, they have expressed how "safe" they feel sharing their feelings and concerns and knowing that it's not going to get spread around. The moms have to feel safe too, as you never know what your daughter might share out of the blue. The more you can work together with the other mothers, the better the conversation can flow. Keep asking questions and truly listen. In a safe, honest environment, you'll be amazed what you will learn and how open your daughters are to the message of modesty and learning who they really are - not who the world says they ought to be. Enjoy the journey with your daughter.

What a neat book and kit to use with your daughter! One thing the description doesn't say very well is the kit includes a mom guide, a secret keeper girl diary and cd and stickers. When you select it above it also suggests you should buy the diary. (I ended up with an extra diary to return...bummer)

Cool book. - The cd is a neat addition to the date night.

Dannah Gresh has created a set of books that are completed with a CD by Rebecca St. James. This is a book set for 8-12 year old girls who are interested in inner and outer beauty. There are eight fun ideas for things like tea, parties, facials and shopping trips. The Diary has lined pages and "devotional-style" paragraphs for contemplation.

The Secret Keeper Girl book seems to be a "planning book" for moms and also includes information on fashion, like information on false advertising and the example of Kate Winslet's picture on GQ.

I remember my mother sending me to a class that talked about the subjects in this book, but I can tell you, this book is way more fun! You give your daughter the Diary book and she can listen to the CD.

Also included:

Recipes for facials

Affirmations of Beauty

Fashion Tips

~The Rebecca Review

I'm starting this series of dates with both my 11 and 9 year old daughters after attending a mini-conference put on by the same group that published the book.

The mother's book and the daughter's diary are set up well. Just enough information to outline a simple object lesson and then room to structure the date in a way that works for you--whether the date is out at a fancy restaurant or spa something more cost effective like your own home. My 11 year old likes the child's diary especially, it has lots of blank lined paper at the very end for her to write in and room to add photos if you're a scrap booking fanatic.

Both girls were a little self conscious at first with some of the suggestions. Getting a hand massage in a fancy restaurant was different, and my youngest was very nervous about the facial--but both are catching on to what the dates are intending to do--pamper & lavish attention on them. Enough that now they are reading ahead and looking forward to their own date time with me and actively making suggestions about what to do to make the date more special for them. The neat thing is that they don't realize that all this special time is helping them to build confidence in themselves. Something I wouldn't have said my girls were lacking in particular. But seeing how much these dates lift them up, I'm kind of amazed at how much some quality time with mom is doing for their confidence level(like super high quality time--time set aside & not intruded upon by anything else happening in the house.)

A word of warning, following through with ALL the dates takes some planning & effort. The author does offer low cost alternatives, but there are some expenses that are unavoidable if you follow each date as outlined (especially the shopping date.)

I was a little worried that the 11 year old might find the material "young" and was ready to change if she didn't want to follow the recommended format of listening to an audio track on the way to the date, going on the date, filling out the questions in the diary, then listening to an audio track on the way home. But so far, she's going along with it. The object lessons are simple, biblically based. Each date has a key verse. The lesson can seem somewhat obvious (and thus my fear the 11 year old would be too sophisticated for it) but sometimes less is more. We manage to fill the whole time with talk even when it goes far from the intended subject--and the lessons are so basic, its easy to bring the conversation back.

Because I've got two daughters and only one summer, 16 great dates is kind of tough to schedule. So we've agreed as a family to combine a few dates and bring both girls (like the facial & the shopping dates.) But I've been having some great conversations when each daughter has their own date. I know the book is recommended for groups, but I'd tell any mom to be selfish and enjoy the time with her daughter alone. The dynamic changes dramatically when its one on one.

And remember, the product with the blue cover is a package of a child's diary, an audio cd, and the mother's guide. The product with the orange/yellow cover is just the child's diary alone. If its just you and your daughter, you only need to buy the product with the blue cover.

And if you're thinking of saving a little money by just getting the child's diary, you could manage it, though the mother's guide is somewhat essential. It has the object lessons outlined in greater detail with pointers for discussions afterwards. On the second date, you need some of the visual information printed only in the mother's guide. The mother's guide has everything that's printed in the child's diary, including a small set of optional devotionals. It also has some thoughts for mothers that is not in the child's diary.

This item is the best! My daughter loves to spend time with me and what better way to make her feel special is to go on one to one dates with her. She loved it and she learned good moral lessons as well. I highly recommend it!!

My daughter (8 years old) and I recently completed the first "date". It was a wonderul experience for her and for me. She's asked every day since then when our next date will be. I would (and have) highly recommend this to any mother/daughter pair. This is an excellent resource to help establish Biblical principles and open lines of communication with your preteen. And I admit, I'm learning just as much as my daughter. In a culture where superficial beauty is everything, it's time for a balanced, Bible-based image revolution. It's time for Secret Keeper Girl!

Bringing a fresh, fun perspective to delicate matters is something Dannah Gresh is great at doing. The concepts she presents are brought to life with fun stories and creative activities that daughters and moms will enjoy. I wasn't always able to do the activities precisely as she prescribed for various reasons, but my daughter loved them all the same and truly looked forward to our time together to complete this book. Further, she has embraced the concepts of purity and modesty herself and that is something I am thrilled about! We went to a Secret Keeper Girl event after completing the kit and that was very well received by my daughter as well. If you have the opportunity to do so, it is well worth the effort. Overall, a great resource.

A friend of mine mentioned this book to me several years ago. At the time, my daughter was not old enough, so I waited to buy it. This year I bought it and I love it! It's organized, easy to read, and has fun ideas for "dates" to go on with your daughter. It comes with everything you need in one packet: the leader guide for the mom, the journal for the daughter, and a CD to listen to. It's a great deal and so worth it!

This book has excellent, creative ideas for spending time with your daughter, that will make a difference in her self-esteem at a critical age just before her teen years. We have had two dates so far, and I am sooo thrilled with the results - I have caught glimpses into her thoughts and emotions that I didn't realize were there!

I highly recommend doing this at the same time as another mom/daughter, perhaps in a group setting... that's what we're doing, and it's so great to have the accountability to keep me on track. Plus, one of the dates involves going shopping with a couple of friends and their moms, and it will be great to do that with girls & moms who are of the same frame of mind as you, having the same goals for the outing!