Bringing Up Girls

So, I started reading James Dobson's, Bringing Up Girls (He also wrote Bringing up Boys). Needless to say it can be a bit overwhelming to realize the responsibility of being a mother/parent :)

I may run the risk of offending some readers with some quotes from the book. My intention is not to offend, simply to copy and paste some of the segments that I highlighted when reading that grabbed my attention.

A few Holy Cow moments I've read thus far:

- I have watched daughters talk to fathers. When you come into the room, they change. Everything about them changes: their eyes, their mouths, their gestures, their body language. Daughters are never lukewarm in the presence of their fathers. They might take their mothers for granted, but not you. They light up—or they cry. They watch you intensely. They hang on your words. They hope for your attention, and they wait for it in frustration—or in despair. They need a gesture of approval, a nod of encouragement, or even simple eye contact to let them know you care and are willing to help. When she’s in your company, your daughter tries harder to excel. When you teach her, she learns more rapidly. When you guide her, she gains confidence. If you fully understood just how profoundly you can influence your daughter’s life, you would be terrified, overwhelmed, or both. Boyfriends, brothers, even husbands can’t shape her character the way you do. You will influence her entire life because she gives you an authority she gives no other man.

-good parenting almost always requires sacrifice. Childhood lasts for only a brief moment, but it should be given priority while it is passing before your eyes.

(I realize this picture has nothing to do with sacrificing - it was just cute)

-I hope you will find a way to give your little girls (and boys) the great benefits of a secure, loving home. That is the surest way to preserve the light that shines in their eyes.

-Little and not-so-little girls need to talk too, especially about what they are feeling. Let me speak directly to the busy mom and dad who are too exhausted at the end of the day to get your kids talking, either at the dinner table or in those intimate few minutes before bedtime: you may be making a serious mistake. You need to know what your children are thinking, and they need the pleasure of telling you about it.

-moms are absolutely indispensable. It is their primary task to transmit enduring principles of right and wrong to the next generation.

-manners and morals are directly connected.

Dobson, James C. (2010-04-13). Bringing Up Girls. Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. Kindle Edition.

(I'm only on chapter 5 of 22. I'm sure there will be much more to share as I progress in the book)