’10 Things Girls Need Most’ Book Review

As a mum of girls I try to do everything in my power to ensure that I steer them in the right direction in life. They’re only five years old, but already they’re confident, clever and knowledgable. By empowering them to make their own decisions, regardless of how small they may be, we can give our girls the confidence to achieve anything they want.

I was recently sent a book called, ’10 Things Girls Need Most to grow up strong and free’ by Steve Biddulph. The main idea behind the book is to combat the ever increasing number of girls growing up with mental health difficulties and anxieties. As such we all want our girls to grow up strong, free and happy.

This book isn’t just aimed at those with newborns, it’s for parents with girls of any age and contains interactive elements with segments to fill in about how you find stages in life growing up, and therefore how you can help your daughters.

The main thing that I really like about this book is the ‘interactive’ element. Unlike other books that I read, quite often I don’t take everything in. With ’10 things girls need most’ I’ve found that by completing the activities and questions, I’m actually thinking about what I’m reading and taking on board the ideas, and thinking of ways that I can apply them to our lives.

This 208 page paperback book has a total of 10 chapters:

1. A Secure and Loving Start

2. The Chance to Be Wild and Time to be a Child

3. Friendship Skills

4. The Love and Respect of a Dad

5. Spark

6. Aunties

7. A Happy Sexuality

8. Backbone

9. Feminism

10. Spirit

As you can see the book addresses a number of different topics. I’ve been really enjoying the way in which the book helps you to look forward. By answering questions about where your daughter is now, and then looking at where you want her to be in the future, the book helps you to make positive steps in the right direction to help achieve this.

Each chapter asks you a number of different questions and then goes on to talk about how you can use where you and your daughters are now to get where you’d both like to be in the future.

I also like how the book explores aspects that I hadn’t even thought about which could have an impact on my daughters. For example, the media. Children can overhear an advert or a news feature and the impact it can have on them, can be quite profound. It’s made me think twice about what we surround ourselves with in our home. I rarely have the news on, but do have a number of women’s health and fitness magazines. I’m curious as to what image I’m portraying to my girls by having these around the home, in addition to ‘slimming’ style magazines.

One of my favourite chapters in the book is the chapter which addresses ‘dangers for dads’. Dads have such an important role to play in their daughters lives so it’s paramount to get it right. The way in which dads talk and behave around their daughters can leave an impression about how men should act towards women. Therefore by going on ‘dad dates’ and by listening to your daughter, men can set realistic expectations of how their daughters should be treated – with respect.

This books also addresses puberty which can be an emotional and sensitive time in any girls life. The book gives ways to help support our daughters through this time. I also really like the idea of surrounding our girls with women. There’s a whole section dedicated to being an Auntie and I think the ideas are wonderful! I’ll certainly be adopting them with my neice.

Overall, I have to say that this book is superb. The ideas, interactive element and information inside is not only useful, it’s also insightful and easy to relate back to real life and put into practise.