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Growing Great Girls: 100s of Practical Strategies for Bringing Out the Best In Your Daughter
The must-have parenting book for parents with daughters.After the huge success of Growing Great Boys comes this companion title focusing on girls. There are many issues today to challenge girls and their parents. This book gives support and advice to parents in the same way that Growing Great Boys has done. It includes some general chapters on the nature of girls; girls and mothers; girls and fathers; solo parenting; preschool girls; middle years, and teen girls. Throughout the text Ian and Mary also address these topics: the delightful side of girl-culture as well as the negative side; the special challenges of our current culture - the rise of the brainless bimbo; girls and success - those things which impact a girl's likelihood of success; girls and friendships; girls and self-esteem - character is more important than curves; fun and communication - girl-style; preparing for puberty; building blocks for a meaningful life; mentoring a girl; and lots more.
- GenresParenting
262 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2008
25 people are currently reading
56 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
January 17, 2011
This book had some helpful hints on how to create a tight knit family by starting your own traditions and rituals. I liked this aspect of the book however I felt that towards the end it developed a slightly religious flavor. As an informed non-religious person and an involved and caring parent I found the section on spirituality to be quite offensive. Raising a child without spirituality was equated with child abuse. I lost interest after that.
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December 24, 2008Just yesterday there was another story in the news about a teen suicide. Many of my friends and colleagues are struggling with depressed and angry children, and as a parent, I feel that there must be something I can do now while my children are young, to prepare them for the ups and downs of life: to give them resilience, and self- confidence. Despite whatever I might have believed before I had children, as a parent, I’m well aware that boys and girls are innately different. There are different key messages that they need, and different responses that they have to the situations they encounter in life. Ian and Mary Grant understand these differences, and have geared their books accordingly, providing tools and advice for parents of both sexes to ensure that the right messages are getting through in the best way possible. One can at least hope that if we help our children to see themselves in the right light, and provide them with the critical tools they need, they will grow up with a resilience that will help them to cope with stress and change.
In Growing Great Boys, Ian Grant looks specifically at the special needs of boys in the twenty first century. Although Grant is a well known parenting expert, the founder of Parents Inc, and author of several books, he writes primarily as parent and grandparent, making his points with with compassion and simplicity. He uses his extensive experience and knowledge to provide information for parents on how to validate boys, the differences between girls and boys, the importance of fathers, the value of mothers, parenting without a partner, dealing with preschoolers, middle years, teen years (this is a superb chapter full of insight and guidance that can have a dramatic difference), mastering competence, confidence and initiative, masks and spirituality. The book ends with “Twelve things I want my boys to know” – a useful set of guidelines that could be copied, laminated, and put on your child’s wall as a reminder of what matters in life.
Growing Great Girls has additional input from Ian’s wife Mary. Following a similar format to Growing Great Boys, the book focuses on how to help your daughter to be self-reliant and confident, with “inner resilience and outer grace.” There are chapters that look at mapping the future, at dealing with new babies, on what girls need, on developing the all important self-esteem, on the impact of our current culture, on the importance of family, on setting limits, the middle years, the pre-adolescent years, teen years, single parenting, the special role of mothers and fathers, and on raising a strong girl with plenty of character.
Both books are lighthearted and easy to read, avoiding didacticism. In the world of parenting, there are no masters -- only apprentices, and the key teachers are our children. The authors recognise that keenly and encourage readers to listen and trust their children to provide the answers. Each chapter contains a “hot tip” with easy and specific advice to try, an “Action Lab” set of practical things you can do, and a summary of the chapter, which is a list that should be revisited regularly (as it’s so easy to forget good theory in the daily chaos and challenge of parenting). For parents of boys and girls, the two books together form a terrific bible of parenting that will be referred to and re-used again and again. Each of these books provides an excellent guide that looks specifically at the particular needs of each sex, and how to ensure that your child grows up feeling loved, supported, confident in who he or she is, and strong in the face of an often challenging world. Growing Great Boys and Growing Great Girls will give parents a deeper understanding of their children, and a better sense of how to connect, and develop traditions that will last for generations.
In Growing Great Boys, Ian Grant looks specifically at the special needs of boys in the twenty first century. Although Grant is a well known parenting expert, the founder of Parents Inc, and author of several books, he writes primarily as parent and grandparent, making his points with with compassion and simplicity. He uses his extensive experience and knowledge to provide information for parents on how to validate boys, the differences between girls and boys, the importance of fathers, the value of mothers, parenting without a partner, dealing with preschoolers, middle years, teen years (this is a superb chapter full of insight and guidance that can have a dramatic difference), mastering competence, confidence and initiative, masks and spirituality. The book ends with “Twelve things I want my boys to know” – a useful set of guidelines that could be copied, laminated, and put on your child’s wall as a reminder of what matters in life.
Growing Great Girls has additional input from Ian’s wife Mary. Following a similar format to Growing Great Boys, the book focuses on how to help your daughter to be self-reliant and confident, with “inner resilience and outer grace.” There are chapters that look at mapping the future, at dealing with new babies, on what girls need, on developing the all important self-esteem, on the impact of our current culture, on the importance of family, on setting limits, the middle years, the pre-adolescent years, teen years, single parenting, the special role of mothers and fathers, and on raising a strong girl with plenty of character.
Both books are lighthearted and easy to read, avoiding didacticism. In the world of parenting, there are no masters -- only apprentices, and the key teachers are our children. The authors recognise that keenly and encourage readers to listen and trust their children to provide the answers. Each chapter contains a “hot tip” with easy and specific advice to try, an “Action Lab” set of practical things you can do, and a summary of the chapter, which is a list that should be revisited regularly (as it’s so easy to forget good theory in the daily chaos and challenge of parenting). For parents of boys and girls, the two books together form a terrific bible of parenting that will be referred to and re-used again and again. Each of these books provides an excellent guide that looks specifically at the particular needs of each sex, and how to ensure that your child grows up feeling loved, supported, confident in who he or she is, and strong in the face of an often challenging world. Growing Great Boys and Growing Great Girls will give parents a deeper understanding of their children, and a better sense of how to connect, and develop traditions that will last for generations.
December 15, 2018
Ian & Mary Grant, Growing Great Girls (Auckland, NZ: Random House, 2008)
“Your role is really to be an encourager, to send your daughter into her teenage years with a 'full emotional tank'; with the affection and approval she needs as well as the skills and interests that will keep her connected in different ways with others.” p13
“Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is the greatest gift your good parenting will secure for her.” p14
“Parents needs to be both advisors and cheerleaders. We need to make sure that from their earliest days we give our daughters quality time, physical closeness and warm, loving eye-contact.” p15
“From the start, plenty of conversation, emotional availability and fun will provide a backdrop for your daughter to explore the world and build confidence in her own perceptions.” p16
“Fortunately you do not need a million dollars or a PhD in child psychology to meet all your daughter's needs. You just need time and your natural love and willingness to be a parent.” p17
“To see her fly solo and coach her towards self-reliance is your ultimate goal.” p18
“Your role is really to be an encourager, to send your daughter into her teenage years with a 'full emotional tank'; with the affection and approval she needs as well as the skills and interests that will keep her connected in different ways with others.” p13
“Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is the greatest gift your good parenting will secure for her.” p14
“Parents needs to be both advisors and cheerleaders. We need to make sure that from their earliest days we give our daughters quality time, physical closeness and warm, loving eye-contact.” p15
“From the start, plenty of conversation, emotional availability and fun will provide a backdrop for your daughter to explore the world and build confidence in her own perceptions.” p16
“Fortunately you do not need a million dollars or a PhD in child psychology to meet all your daughter's needs. You just need time and your natural love and willingness to be a parent.” p17
“To see her fly solo and coach her towards self-reliance is your ultimate goal.” p18
March 26, 2022
Pročitana je još ranije, mislim da je na početku godine.Svakako je čitam iznova i iznova. Ovo su vrlo jednostavni emotivni saveti roditeljima koji mogu biti korisni u svakom trenutku pa tako svaka kuća sa decom treba da poseduje ovu knjigu. Hvala još jednom Iva, na poklonu. S vremena na vreme je treba pomenuti jer nije nalik knjigama samopomoći. Izuzetno je vaspitna i interesatna. Čita se u jednom dahu a za potrebne situacije sa devojčicama kroz život, vredi prelistati je opet. Ova knjiga postoji i u izdanju za dečake.
September 22, 2017
Nothing particularly new or surprising in here and not a terribly fun read either. Average
March 27, 2024
Great nuggets so much that am reading it again. I love how practical it is as well.
January 19, 2021
Not perfect but some great practical advices and creative ideas.
July 7, 2012
I am reading it as its title suggests - as a host of practical parenting tips a person can take or leave as they like. There's loads of useful parenting info in this book and it's an easy read, which I am appreciating as I don't tend to do parenting 'how to' books. Has left me feeling more mindful of what I am doing.
I don't think everything suggested will suit everybody, but then I don't think it's supposed to either and on balance I am getting a lot out of it. It's been a great refresher.
I don't think everything suggested will suit everybody, but then I don't think it's supposed to either and on balance I am getting a lot out of it. It's been a great refresher.
February 28, 2010
Good book, to add to the Parenting section of the brain to remember:)
March 24, 2013
I just haven't got into this book. (I'm not a fan of non-fiction at the best of times!) The sections I read had some good content, but I don't think I will ever get around to finishing it. Sorry!
May 17, 2015
A bit of a mixed bag.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews