For years I have been an avid reader of parenting books. When Secure Daughters, Confident Sons: How Parents Guide Their Children into Authentic Masculinity and Femininity was made available through a blogger review program, I looked forward to reading it.The author, Glenn T. Stanton, encourages readers to celebrate the differences between boys and girls. While some may try to create a gender-neutral environment for their children, he walks parents through ideas for cultivating our children's innate male or female qualities.
Another emphasis of the book is how both father and mother play different yet essential roles in developing their children. From the particular way we play with them to the progression of their language skills, having a male and female parent routinely involved in their lives helps promote a balanced personality.
I applaud the author's intent; rearing our girls to become secure feminine ladies and our boys to become strong masculine men is a goal that I seek as a parent. However, I didn't gain all that I might have from this book due to the author's repeated use of current television shows, movies and celebrities to make his points. I couldn't identify with most of the examples given because I either haven't seen the media he mentioned or know very little about the people to whom he referred.
Could you learn something from this book about helping your boys and girls grow into the roles that God would have for them? Perhaps, but I believe that there are other books out there that could present this material in a more effective way. If you have a recommendation along those lines, please feel free to share it.
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book by Waterbrook Multnomah. All of the opinions expressed in this post are my own and I was not compensated for this review in any other way.
It's not a parenting book, but my novel has been published. I could email you the pdf or the Kindle edition if you would like to read and review it. It is an allegory meant to encourage you to not fear because God is in control and to give yourself wholly to following the "King." It's called The King Will Make a Way. You can read more about it at http://thekingwillmakeaway.wordpress.com I'm just a homeschool mom and servant of the King. I have made homeschool materials to go along with the book as well, and they are all available for free on my blog. You can leave a comment on the blog if you are interested.
ReplyDeleteWhen you started, I thought this sounded like a good book for me to read, but then I finished your review. I probably wouldn't get the examples, either, so I'll skip it. Thanks for the review.
ReplyDeleteHa, when I started reading your review, I opened Paperback Swap in another tab, ready to search for it. Then I read the rest and reconsidered; the premise sounds great, but I think I'll pass all things considering.
ReplyDeleteBut if you do find a good resource on the topic, you should definitely share it! :D
Nikki,
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome. I really don't like to be negative about a book/author without a substantial reason, but in this case I did feel that his use of those examples distracted from the message of the book.
thismomreads,
ReplyDeleteI certainly will! Obviously the author had a great premise for a book; it just wasn't delivered in a style that worked for me.
I highly recommend Meg Meeker's "Strong Fathers, Strong Daughter's"; and "Boys Should be Boys". Also, "Age of Opportunity" by Paul David Tripp (for parents of Teens). If you have a boy- you should get "Wild Things" by Steven Thomas. If you have a girl - you must read Vicki Courtney's "5 conversations you must have with your daughter" and sign up for her blog. These are my go-to parenting resources!!
ReplyDeleteBuilding Memories,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing these resources! I am always looking for new parenting books to read.