Growing a Girl: Seven Strategies for Raising a Strong, Spirited Daughter

The author has done a tremendous job of taking many experts' views of the "right" way to raise a girl, discussing their merits (pros/cons), and then giving her own recommendations. She includes specific information and tips for situations you're likely to encounter (from Barbies, to adults commenting on how beautiful your child is, to playground and friendship struggles). She doesn't come across at all with a "raise your daughter this way....or else..." attitude, but she does really get you to think about how and why you choose to react and how important it is that you understand your child even if you don't agree (empathy). A bonus is that many of the strategies apply to both boys and girls....and the chapter for fathers is truly wonderful (especially if you're unlikely to get the father to read an entire book). Also, unlike other books, this book takes you right from your daughter's infancy through teen years and beyond. It's a book you'll probably read over and over as your child reaches a new stage of development.Bottom line: You'll learn practical tips and strategies to help keep your daughter's self-esteem strong from preschool through teen years and beyond. This book has been the favorite among my friends with girls. Best wishes to you and your girl(s)!

I find many of the instances of sexism that Mackoff sites are somewhat suspect and reaching. However I don't care one bit, as the advice she gives is EXTREMELY usable. She helped me make my own decisions on how to help my girl thrive in this world, with many applied strategies. I don't want to raise my girl to be a boy, or to be what I decide she will be, but rather to discover what she wants to be, embracing her femaleness and her plain old humanness. I would say that 80% of what she recommends is excellent parenting advice that would apply equally well to boys as well as girls. Few books have as much usable, action-able advice as this book has. And I do read quite a few books. I will be requesting all people who have an active role in raising my daughter (ie grandparents, and hopefully teachers) to read it. (FYI I am a man/dad)

I recently became a parent and although my daughter is years away from facing some of these problems, I still think everyone with a daughter should read this book, no matter their age.Mackoff provides thoughtful, well-researched examples in a clear and concise manner. I like the fact that she included her own daughter in various stories. She also provides great references for girl-friendly books, videos, etc that were a great help to me. I also saw myself in a lot of these scenarios and could totally relate to what girls face today. We really are a product of our childhoods. I don't want my daughter to suffer through the same things I did or fall into the same traps as me and I think this reference will help me keep my gender glasses in place.Highly recommended.

Recommended by the director of my daughter's preschool, I was delighted beyond belief to read this book. Most books (and many are wonderful) focus on the frustrations of being a young woman in our gender biased society, something we already know and unfortunately don't define for ourselves until later in life. This book gives new moms and dads a chance to recognize the dilemnas very young girls face each day and help give their daughters a voice, strength, opportunities and a better understanding of the culture around them. And even if you are progressive and smart and think you know how to raise a daughter, this book is a wonderful reminder of all the little things that make such a huge impact on a little person. A wonderful gift.

I found this book to be very thought provoking. It made me rethink what I say and do with my daughter. As a former middle school math teacher, I have seen the problems that adolescent girls develop during their teen years. I have actually heard teenage girls claim that they are too dumb to do math because their mothers are not good in math. It always made me cringe and it challenged me to convince these girls that the stereotype was wrong. This book pointed out other stereotypes that I had not thought about before. It gives specific strategies that I can use now with my three year old daughter and others to use as she gets older. Even though I may not use every suggestion in the book, I am much more prepared to help my daughter learn to use her own mind and not be afraid to do so.