Things Will Be Different for My Daughter: A Practical Guide to Building Her Self-Esteem and Self-Reliance

Discusses the benefits of building strong identities in girls

Do you want to help your daughter to grow up into a confident, capable young woman? Here is the book for it, offering just the right information, support and good company needed for building self-esteem in girls from infancy through young adulthood. Solidly grounded in the latest research, the thoughtfully written, well designed, workbook-style text invites active participation from mothers and daughters. Numerous how-tos and exercises (involving discussion, fantasy, writing, critiquing, role-playing and more) build trust and intimacy while nurturing the self-knowledge, values, strengths and skills a girl (and her mother) need for developing a "hardy personality." Though sections for fathers are included, mothers, as the title suggests, receive far more attention, and a powerful message, too: if they truly want things to be different for their daughters, they themselves may need to develop some new behaviors and attitudes.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

The authors of eight other titles, including Career Choices: A Guide for Teens and Young Adults (Academic Innovations, 1990), Bingham and Stryker focus here on how parents can develop a hardy personality in their daughters. The authors outline eight steps in this process, such as setting goals and priorities and recognizing and tolerating anxiety but act anyway. Insightful and knowledgeable in their topic, the authors are clearly motivated to alleviate the imbalance in society between girls and boys and later women and men. This book will serve as an excellent tool in the fight against gender inequality. Librarians should consider, however, that the book contains many fill-in-the-blank pages. This aside, it is recommended for all public libraries.
Priscilla Davis Dann, Cuyahoga Cty. P.L., South Euclid, Ohio
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

The coauthors have written eight books for teens on career choices, self-awareness, and other issues. This one, directed at parents, will help adults perceive the variety of issues that have an impact on a girl's self-image, and it contains suggestions on developing positive, stronger identities and sharp business sense. Especially useful is the career-planning advice. The authors suggest that young women should be encouraged to explore nontraditional (typically male-dominated) jobs by looking positively at these opportunities as "higher-pay, higher-autonomy, and usually more fulfilling careers" rather than viewing such careers as ways of breaking down barriers or of behaving in an unfeminine manner. A good primer for today's families and certainly one than can make a difference for the next generation of career women and mothers. Denise Perry Donavin