How to Mother a Successful Daughter: A Practical Guide to Empowering Girls from Birth to Eighteen

by Nicky Marone

The popular media has revealed the alarming lack of resilience, optimism, and self-efficacy in most young girls, especially when they reach adolescence. Mothers are looking for the right tools to help their daughters develop attitudes and behaviors that will allow them to thrive. In How to Mother a Successful Daughter , Nicky Marone, international speaker, former educator, and author of How to Father a Successful Daughter, teaches women, whether corporate executives or homemakers, how to mentor their daughters and become positive role models. The girls, then, will be better prepared for the future, having learned the emotional and intellectual skills necessary to be economically and emotionally self-sufficient.
        
As a result of her research and workshops, Marone has developed a unique program that shows how to deal with many different real-life situations, including suggestions for mother/daughter projects and ways to combat sexist cultural messages in the media, at school, and at home. Mothers learn strategies for teaching girls "mastery-oriented" skills for avoiding the internalization of failure, tolerating confusion and ambiguity, and developing alternative plans to reach a goal. How to Mother a Successful Daughter is filled with hands-on, usable tips with age-appropriate advice for preschool, school-age, and teenage girls. This is an invaluable resource for parents who want their daughters to have the emotional and intel-lectual skills necessary to be self-sufficient, competent--and happy--adults.

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction, Self Help

278 pages, Hardcover

First published March 17, 1998

Reviews

[Elizabeth Wheeler bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this book. Some of it seemed like no-brainier information, but some of it really challenged me both as a parent and an educator. I want to be certain I am not subconsciously contributing to the stereotypes that encourage girls to become helpless or fit certain molds. The author is involved in some interesting programs in Denver that I would like to look into further both for my daughter and for our school. Her book is full of references I will be looking into, and I want to read the one she wrote for fathers. Like any parenting book, I do not agree 100% with everything she says, but she brings up valid points worthy of reflection.

[Natali · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a little dated - particularly the part about how to mitigate media messages for your daughter. If you can skim through that chapter, you'll find some great nuggets in this book about how to not only raise a successful daughter but also inspire one by your own example. The author emphasizes teaching our daughters mastery-oriented behavior and self esteem, things I have learned from my own mother, yet still struggled with my entire life, like most women. She also teaches you how to recognize and prevent "learned helplessness" in our daughters, something I surely wish did not exist in our culture.

This book may have been a little too long - I liked the first half a lot more than the second - and perhaps a bit repetitive. But in my constant effort not to screw up my kids, I am glad I picked this up. There are a few golden nuggets I will definitely add to my arsenal of parental prowess.

[Colleenish · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book talks about how learned helplessness keeps girls from being successful. I really liked that idea because the beauty myth is just one part of modern day sexism. The idea of learned helplessness covers it all.

The book gives a lot of ideas about how to combat the pressure that society puts on women. Many of them are corny- like asking your kids what they would notice about a commercial if the genders were switched. Corny, but possibly effective.

[Tamara McFarren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book with lots to think about. Premise is teaching "mastery behavior" across all aspects of life. Thought provoking with regard to how to mentor/talk with your daughter in ways that empower her (duh!) as opposed to solving problems for her or reinforcing negative stereotypes.

This is a book that will stay on my shelf to read again in a few years.

[Maura-lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

fantastic read if you have little girls

[Karen Wilke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. Lots of interesting things to think about when raising girls.

[Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book definitely has some interesting concepts, but feels a little outdated.