Helpful Books for Raising Daughters

I wish these books had been available when my girls were younger, but they’re here now. I’ve learned from these books what it’s like to be a girl growing up in the 2010s. This is a hard time to be a girl. Our girls feel expectations to be perfect in all areas – appearance, academics, athletics, in-person social life, online social life, and more.

Our girls are struggling to meet unrealistic expectations and are suffering from unprecedented anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts. As they get older and try to keep up with expectations, many girls lose their confidence and their joy.

These books, which explain what’s going on with girls, are helpful for all people who work with or are parenting girls. They provide ideas and inspiration for how we can take some of the pressure off of our daughters and communicate to them that they are accepted and loved just the way they are. If you’re a woman reading these books, many of the messages may still resonate with you as a grown woman.

You might enjoy listening to some of these books if you are (like most parents!) too busy to sit down and read them. I use Libro.fm to listen to audio books, because I love supporting my favorite independent bookstore with my audio book purchases. You can get your first listen for free!

(Note: This is also a challenging time for raising boys, and I will be publishing a separate list about books and resources I’ve found helpful.)