If you have a daughter you may have had the challenge of handling the emotions of a girl. I mean we have to deal with our own emotions at times, don’t we?

I have four girls and three boys and there is such a vast difference in the emotional challenges and needs of my girls, than my boys. Sometimes there are exceptions to this rule, but overall that is the case.

My girls require much more emotional attention and being a woman, it is difficult to handle something I myself don’t have handled!

When my eldest was younger, she would have occasional emotional breakdowns over silly things. Even she couldn’t explain why she was crying or why she couldn’t stop. And she is a very complacent and easy child; although I didn’t realize it at the time.

Three children later and I had my second girl. Her emotions are much more intense then my first. Over nearly everything.

Something I am coming to learn and understand is that sometimes even they don’t know how to control their own emotions.

The gift of daughters brings joy, challenges, and deep responsibility – guiding them in faith and strength amid our treacherous world.

“This just might be the most important conversation you ever have
with that girl you love so much.”  Sandra Stanley

Pink Bundles

I learned a lot from the birth of my son, who was almost born in our car. Most importantly, I learned NOT to go home when the labor and delivery nurses declare “false labor.” History almost repeated itself when I arrived at the hospital the morning our first daughter was born. A quick check revealed I was only dilated 1 ½ centimeters. The sweet nurses looked at me sympathetically as they gently explained the differences between false and real labor. I refused to leave without seeing my doctor, which was fortunate because my daughter was born within an hour of our arrival.

At some point I must have agreed to allow about a dozen students from the college nursing program to observe. It may have been a simple nod while breathing in the brown paper bag after my oxygen levels dropped from the intensity and speed of labor, or possibly while screaming that I needed something for the pain, sure the nurses hadn’t really put Demerol in my IV.

Being a mom of a little girl is such a delight and gift! These books will help guide and encourage parents on the journey of raising their sweet girl.

I’ve always wanted a little girl. I chose the name of my someday daughter (a combination of my grandma’s and mama’s name) while I was still a teenager, and a few years later I asked my now-husband if he liked the name before we ever got engaged. When I found out I was expecting my first baby, I was pretty certain pink was in our future, and I was right!

So I’m now forever a “girl-mom,” which means my motherhood journey so far has meant a lot of pink, roses, and sparkly skirts (my choice, not hers!). But we all know that raising little women in times like these isn’t all roses and glitter, so here are my go-to resources for helping me love my little lady!

Encouraging Books for Moms of Little Girls

Raising Worry-Free Girls by Sissy Goff

My daughter is a fifth-generation firstborn daughter. So when I read Raising Worry-Free Girls and discovered that most girls, especially firstborn girls, struggle with anxiety, I felt anxious about helping my daughter grow up to conquer her own worry.

So I guess I’ll begin with a confession.

I thought it would be enough for our girls to simply grow up in a Christian family.

I thought it would take care of everything. That they’d grow up secure and unafraid, having been raised in a home where they are loved so dearly. A home where we pray, read the Bible and are part of a church body. Each one of them holding a special place in our hearts.

I thought it would be enough.

Yet I’ve come to realize that our girls need more than that to flourish and walk confidently. They need to hear certain things from me, and they need to hear them repeatedly and in many different ways. There are important truths she really needs to understand.

6 Truths Every Daughter Needs to Know

She is beautiful. 

And I’m not talking merely about the “outward appearance” but that this girl is beautiful in every way. She must be convinced that she is a lovely person who does lovely things. It’s essential – even critical – that she feels beautiful.

Being captivated by a good chapter book can be a challenge in our screen-driven society. But these may well capture your kids attention!

Like many families from the ’90s, I have fond memories of our Saturday mornings. But unlike many others, it wasn’t Saturday morning cartoons that pulled us from our beds on the weekend—it was the kid’s radio programs on our Christian radio station.  

It wasn’t quite as simple as just getting up and turning on the radio, however. Because we lived in Alaska and our station was transmitted from a different time zone, we either had to get up at 4 a.m. to hear our favorite programs or talk my brother into getting up and taping them for us.

One way or another, we almost always caught our favorite shows—Ranger Bill, The Sugar Creek Gang, and the iconic Adventures in Odyssey. Listening to these radio shows blaring through the house on Saturday mornings will forever be one of my favorite childhood memories.

Along with loving radio programs, I was also an avid reader. I read books faster than my parents could supply them and the books I loved best were historical novels.

I have two sons, a freckled seven-year-old with sparkling hazel eyes and a jolly, roly-poly baby.

My greatest desire is that they will know they are loved: by the Lord, by me, and by others. Unconditionally. And I want to be a voice of encouragement and affirmation in their lives. So I was thrilled to hear that Rachael Denhollander has written a book that celebrates how much a little boy is worth.

And as it turns out, little boys are worth, well, everything. 

Affirming Your Little Boy’s Worth

How Much Is A Little Boy Worth is a lovely and heartfelt picture book. With lyrical prose and glowing illustrations, it’s just right for snuggling up and sharing with your little boy.

It reminds me a bit of the classic I’ll Love You Forever in style, but I personally find this one much more substantial. My son told me he really liked the illustrations, and I enjoyed the variety of settings and ethnicities portrayed in the pictures. The scenes will be familiar and relatable to most boys ages 3-8, the age range I’d recommend for this book. 

In a world that is conflicted about what manhood looks like, our sons can hear conflicting messages.

Tween girls are at a good age for learning what it means to grow into a young woman and many girls (and moms) need direction with what that looks like.

When I was a girl, I had a special place I called The Bower.

Really, it was just a Wisteria shrub that had grown over an old clothesline near an overgrown flower bed in our backyard. I thought it was enchanting, and many times I slipped through the tendrils and branches to sit inside with a notepad, sketchpad, or good book.

When I was a teenager, that Wisteria shrub was cut down.

Little did I know as a “tween,” but Wisteria is meant to have beautiful, fragrant blooms. Unfortunately, our Wisteria was never meant to be planted in such a shady place, had never bloomed, and could never truly thrive there.

Growing up is sort of like that.

We cannot grow up and truly thrive under just any conditions. We must have the right amount of shade and sun, the best soil, and lots of loving care in order to go from a sprout to a full bloom.

Do you feel uncomfortable talking about sex with your daughter? Here are a few tips to get you pointed in the right direction.

Salt-N-Pepa might have produced the song “Let’s Talk About Sex”, but if you’re a mom of a growing girl, you’re probably not singing it! Discussing sexuality is hard. Where do you start? How much is too much?

As women and mothers of faith, how we present sexuality to our daughters has the power to shape this pivotal part of their worldview.

Though we have the guidance of God’s Word on sexuality in general, how we talk about it to our daughters is individual. Each girl needs a personal approach that takes into account her personality, fears, and questions. That’s why you – her mother! – are best equipped to discuss sex with your daughter. School and church might provide support, but they cannot address her concerns on the personal, spiritual level she needs.

This said, there are a few ways parents go wrong when discussing sexuality with their daughters. I see these themes recur as I counsel young women battling sexual sin.

Following are five things not to do when discussing sex with your daughter.

Raising a daughter who will be secure and able to navigate life well requires a bit of intentional heart-care.

I nearly panicked when our first daughter was born.

That sweet baby girl.

Not sure exactly why, but I keenly and immediately felt my inadequacy as a mother. It’s true we had a son, but I guess I figured that if things ever went wrong, I could always hand him over to his dad.

But a girl…..?

I knew a girl needs her mother.

I knew a mom has to care for her heart – oh, how well I knew! I knew she would turn to me to learn how to be a woman and to navigate the complexities of life.

What I didn’t know was just how to go about it.

How does a mom look after her daughter’s heart?

1.  Walk together.  The girls and I have some of our best talks when we’re out walking together. Maybe it’s the fresh air or the steady movement of our legs, but there’s something about it that opens hearts and minds to good conversation.

Children are born as individuals and have their own unique personalities. How can you appreciate your child’s own uniqueness?

Every morning I would drive up to the curb at school and my daughter would hop out of the car. Then there was my son. He would talk. And talk. And talk, telling me just that one more interesting thing. Eventually, I would have to make a bold interruption and say, “Son, get out of the car. Get. Out.” He was just friendly and cheerful and not in a hurry that kid.

He’s the one who would call from college and talk. And talk. And talk, telling us that one more interesting thing. My husband and I loved it until we got to the point in an hour-long conversation when we would look at each other from over the cell phone. Will he ever hang up?

Unique Personalities

Our daughter was another story. One day, when she was a teenager, she ran errands with me. For three hours we drove around town, and she said nothing. I got my feelings hurt and decided to stay quiet, waiting for her to say something.