101 Ways to Help Your Daughter Love Her Body

Editorial Review

Sit up straight so your tummy doesn't hang out. Thin is always in. You look so much prettier when you smile. Guys like girls with big boobs. Now that you've got your period, you's better be careful. I'd kill to have legs like yours.

With negative messages bombarding our girls on a daily basis -- from misguided adults, from peers, from the media -- how can our daughters possibly feel good about their bodies? While you may not single-handedly be able to change society there are ways to make sure that your daughter's sense of self is strong and sustaining. In fact, this hands-on guide offers 101 ways!

In 101 Ways to Help Your Daughter Love Her Body, two mothers -- one a clinical psychologist, the other an award-winning journalist -- have teamed up to provide parents with practical ideas tailored to girls from birth through the teenage years. These initiatives inform parents and encourage them to take active roles in helping their daughters develop confidence, treat their bodies with love and respect, and make peace with their unique builds so that they can revel in a sense of femaleness and physical competence.

Psychologically astute and fun to read, this proactive guide will help define a new generation of healthy girls. There's no better time than now to help our daughters, young and growing, learn to love their bodies.

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Customer Reviews

Very good start for most parents.

2001-08-20
Anyone who is awake knows the absurd media frenzy which objectifies girls and women today more than ever. This book is an excellent helpful tool which gives certain ideas which are simple enough, but that most parents don't even realise could help with their child (boy or girl, really)and their self-possession and self-esteem. I particularly enjoyed sections dealing with allowing the child to express their real and honest feelings rather than feeling forced to express politeness even to people who impose themselves on your child. These are lessons your daughters will keep with them for life and lead a more powerful and happier life with them. Definitely check the book out!

The Perfect Book for this Sensitive Issue

2003-10-01
I have never rushed to my computer upon finishing a book to write a review, and I hardly think a book that's been profiled in PEOPLE magazine needs my help, but I feel compelled to RAVE about this inspiring and hugely helpful book. There are so many of us who understand that bulimia, anorexia and morbid obesity, while frightening problems, are but the tip of the iceberg of the eating disorder that seems to have ensnared all modern females. The notion that a life-long battle against the body is a given MUST be combatted, and authors Richardson and Rehr have pulled out some brilliant tools to help us win--or, rather, stop--this war. With language that reminds us of a smart friend at our kitchen table, they shine a flashlight in the corners, tackling issues that other books on this topic ignore. What to do with the heavy girl whose mother is thin? How does adoption affect body image? How can we emphasize to our daughters what's important, without denying the pull of pop culture? I came away from this book with not only incredible insight, but at least a dozen practical ideas I can use right now with my daughters ages 7 and 10, who are both already struggling with this issue. I thank my lucky stars that these two women met at their daughters' schools, and got around to talking about more than playdates and homework. Any mother with a daughter needs this book!

Buy this book if you have a daughter!

2002-03-20
I read about this book in People magazine and thought it sounded good. Wow! I want to buy this book for everyone I know who has a daughter. Starting from babies and moving through each stage of a girl's life, this book gives sound, quick advice in a very easy to read format to help girls love their bodies. There is also a great section for Dads too. If you have a daugher. Get this book. It is a must read.

A friend...

2001-11-03
This Author is Fantastic and an inspration to us all as mothers and as women!
Way to go Elaine you've hit it out of the park on this book! I recomend it to all mothers!

Your Friend Desiree A Make-A-Wish Volunteer whom you have inspired even more! ;-}

A TREMENDOUS BOOK FOR BOOSTING SELF-ESTEEM! 2001-09-11
Few parents with teen-aged daughters escape the frustrations of dealing, at least on occasion, with a daughter who feels she should look like the image on a fashion magazine. At this trying point in a girl's life, a great many insecurities can arise ranging from peer pressure to lack of confidence and self-esteem about appearance. Through the media, i.e. television, movies and fashion magazines, teens are often programmed to think only thin is acceptable and unless we have a the face and body of a fashion model, we will never be accepted and never be noticed.

This book is an excellent source for working with your daughter to help her understand that true beauty lies within, not on the surface. Each of us has our own unique beauty and style and rather than try to cultivate what others have achieved, we should be individualistic and cultivate what we have been given. This is a book where Mom's and Dad's can both play an active role in dealing with the often frustrating day-to-day problems of a teen-aged daughter, and by doing so, helping her feel more confident, happy and healthy, both emotionally and physically.

Prevention is key! 2001-09-11
This book is a must for all parents with children, especially the kids who value weight vs. heart. 101 Ways.. will play a key role in enhancing self-esteem for the next generation of girls (and boys). This book may turn fad dieting into a thing of the past for our pre-teens and teens, what a beautiful thought! I highly recommend this book for anyone with children, especially girls. Whatever you aren't able to pass on to your kids, there are certainly thought provoking suggestions for us Mom's. I will certainly pass this book on, as should you. Nicki Anderson