Books to read: Six Ways to Keep the "Little" in Your Girl

Dannah Gresh is one of my go-to authors when it comes to raising girls. I didn't discover her until I had a tween. Yes, my oldest is nine and marketing people call her a tween.

Dannah inspired me to continue working hard to protect my girls from growing up too fast. Honestly, it feels like culture is moving so fast and pushing so hard that my old fashioned values don't stand a chance. Her book Six Ways to Keep the "Little" in Your Girl was easily the best read of 2010 for me.

This is a book I can't keep on my shelf. Literally, one mom brings it back to me and on my way home, another spots it and asks to borrow it. I would read the book first when my girl was four and probably again when she turned eight.

I won't spoil all six ways because this is a book you should read and own because you will return to it or just want to lend it out to friends. I will share the way that hit me the hardest. Dream with her about her prince. I had never talked to my girls about their future husbands. I imagined bringing up the subject might turn her the girls who has crush after crush and is always chasing boys and kissing them even though she is in second grade. I was afraid it might make her think a husband was her ultimate goal. But Dannah reminded me of the importance of this subject. If I don't talk with my girls about their future husbands, some other little princess will. And she won't say what I would.  I think the ultimate goal for anyone, man or woman, is to follow God with his/her whole heart whether that includes marriage or not. Staying silent about boys won't get my message across. Starting the conversation when the girls are young might mean it won't be so awkward when she is older.

And if you have a boy, Dannah will be releasing her new book for boys in February 2012. Since I don't have a boy, I will borrow this from a friend or the library, but I will read it. Dannah's ideas are insightful and worth my time.

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