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March/April 2008

Is her voice strong?
When a girl uses a high, uncertain voice, people don’t fully listen to her or take her seriously. And during the pre-teen and teen years when a girl may already be going through a self-esteem slump, the feeling that others aren’t really listening can only lower her confidence. Learn simple steps to help your girl leave behind her hesitant, muted speaking and reclaim her strong voice. By Ronna Wineberg Blaser and Amy Lynch

January/February 2008

Fathering Journey: Travels with--and without--Dad by Henry Rozycki
We want our girls to be independent and confident about navigating unfamiliar territory on their own. But when we face that situation, we face our own fears about their safety. Here's how one dad worked out a gradual independence program with his soon-to-be world traveler daughter.

November/December 2007

In The Know: Arianna Huffington on being fearless by Arianna Huffington
How do your daughter’s fears hold her back? This question bedeviled Arianna Huffington as she watched her two teen daughters and other girls hamstrung by the same fears about looking and acting “right” that Huffington had faced as a girl. We can end the stultifying effects of fear, writes Huffington, author of On Becoming Fearless (Little, Brown, 2006) and founder of the popular online Huffington Post, by helping our girls—and ourselves—face our fears to get bold from the inside out.

July/August 2007

Self-defense for girls: Empowered body and mind by Ronni Rowland
As parents, we want our girls to feel secure, with both mind and body ready to ensure their own safety. Self-defense programs—especially classes tailored toward girls and young women—can bolster a girl’s sense of security and confidence and help her set boundaries and speak up for herself in everyday situations. Find self-defense resources that’ll get her thinking self-defense even without a class.

May/June 2007

Do something big! by Rick Gordon
Here’s what happens when a dad and daughter embark on something big, such as the major family bike trip this dad set off on with his 11-year-old daughters. A girl gains loads of self-confidence by challenging herself in a support environment; she and dad share lots of insights; and both create priceless memories. Get some ideas on fun possibilities from this dad who also has a close-up on parent-daughter relationships as a middle-school administrator.

March/April 2007

Let’s Talk: Is she pessimistic? by Madeena Spray Nolan
Girls are more likely than boys to have a less-than-positive take on the world, particularly during the insecure preteen and teen years. Girls tend to blame themselves for failures—real or imagined—while boys tend to view setbacks as not necessarily linked to their abilities or worth. Learn how to grow her optimism so that she’ll feel more confident to take on new possibilities as well as bounce back from disappointments.

January/February 2007

Do you help her too much? by Catherine Dee
Are you a “helicopter parent”? Experts say more parents are giving girls too much assistance and solving problems, which can prevent her from coming up with her own solutions and dealing with sometimes unpleasant consequences. While it’s hard to see a girl deal with disappointment, she’ll benefit when we help her brainstorm and then let her handle it on her own. Find out how to broach this tricky issue from experts and other parents.

September/October 2006

If she had a hammer by Catherine Dee
Your girl is surrounded by nonstop messages from advertisers and marketers that tell her what she should buy, watch, hear, read, wear, and do. It may be tempting to just tell her “No!” more often, note psychologists Sharon Lamb and Lyn Mikel Brown, authors of Packaging Girlhood: Rescuing Our Daughters from Marketers’ Schemes (St. Martin’s Press, 2006). What’s better is to team up with girls to learn how to “read” the girl culture that’s being marketed to them, and then talk together about how she’d like to react to the sell job.

Is multitasking good for her? by Annie Fox
We adults too often multitask, and too often girls try to imitate us by balancing school tasks, extracurriculars, and family life at the same time. But by trying to cram too much in, we can lose the space and time to communicate with a daughter. And she may believe we’re too busy to hear from her. Learn how to make sure she knows you’re there to listen and talk from this expert in teen-parent communication.

July/August 2006

Be Her “Life Coach”! by Helen Cordes
Girls, just like adults, can benefit from the advice of a life coach to help them sort through why they may be making bad choices or stymied by elusive goals. Parents can provide that service, using life-coach techniques that not only get a girl back on track but enhance parent-daughters communication. In a companion article, a life coach to girls gives tips on helping girls navigate typical teen challenges.

May/June 2006

Making peace with deferred dreams
Dads of daughters, of course, want nothing but the best for girls, and encourage our daughters to dream big and to never lose sight of their goals. Yet dads often need to set aside their own dreams as they dedicate time and energy to parenting. Learn how this dad found peace amid parenting his daughter and tending his ambitions.

Putting perfectionism in its place
Girls as early as elementary school are feeling more pressured to be perfect in school, extracurricular activities, and life in general. Find out how to keep her from stressing over perfection through everyday measures from humor to chilled-out parental example!

March/April 2006

Throw her (and her foremothers) a party!
The bonds between a girl and her mom, grandma, aunts, and other female relatives can be an invaluable foundation to keep a girl feeling strong and connected. Celebrate those connections with a fabulous party that gets everyone talking, laughing, and learning from each others' histories.

September/October 2005

Avoiding Family Feuding with Family Meetings
For us adults, regular meetings at workplace or volunteer group work to keep team members informed, empowered, and working together smoothly. Why not try the same tactic at home? Girls particularly benefit from family meetings that allow them to practice stating their case and working out family disagreements.

Pitching In: What Girls Learn Through Housework
Housework chores are probably grist for battles in most households, but there’s a different way of looking at housework that could transform the way girls and parents view the work. Schoefer presents both techniques and talking points for making housework happen without hollering.

July/August 2005

Finding a Girl-Affirming Faith Community
When a girl has profound questions about life, death, and how to live a good life, we can often guide her to answers in a faith community. She’ll thrive in an atmosphere that welcomes girls and women, encourages inquiring minds, and builds strong community ties.

May/June 2005

When She’s Able to Bounce Back: Nurturing Resilience
Every girl encounters some challenges, and her reaction to stresses can often chart a stormy or smooth course through the tween and teen years. Exploring alternative solutions to challenges with her is key.

March/April 2005

Beth Hossfeld on Girls' Circles
Girls are starved for talk, and they can find a safe and positive forum when adults help out by forming a girls' group. The Girls' Circle Association has sparked the creation of over 500 groups, says cofounder Hossfeld, who advises on how to start a group and get girls helping each other on challenging issues.

May/June 2004

Babysitting: Is Your Daughter Ready?
How to tell if she's mature enough to be a babysitter; how to get her ready.

March/April 2003

No Room of One’s Own? by Elizabeth Larsen
As America spreads out into newer suburbs, houses are getting larger; therefore kids are less likely to share a room with their sibling. Are these kids missing out on a valuable sharing lesson? One family talks about the benefits of their daughters sharing rooms.

The Value of Solitude by Susannah Sheffer
Are you concerned that with talk about the importance of social acceptance and inclusion for girls, we are losing sight of how important solitude is as well? Solitude is a way for our girls to learn about and find themselves in a tough stress-fill world. Learn how to encourage your girl to take time for her, by herself.