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Talking With Your Daughter About Understanding Boys...YEP! BOYS!

Giveaway of Talking With Your Daughter About Understanding Boys by Bob & Dannah Gresh {The Unlikely Homeschool}

"I wouldn't dare claim that I understand the mind of a girl.  But I have no doubts that I understand the mind of a boy.  I was one." The Hubs

As a mom, it is my job and calling to hold the hand of my daughter and lead her gently into womanhood...to love her, train her, and disciple her into femininity as Titus 2 instructs. And while I continue in my daily quest to teach her "WHAT IS GOOD", I know there are some areas of life that are next to impossible for me to guide her through.

Namely...UNDERSTANDING BOYS.  Because, the fact is, I never was one.

As of today, my Sweetie Pea has no interest in the opposite sex.  But I know that all too soon, she will. It's an inevitable and God-ordained part of growing up...of crossing the threshold from young lady to young woman.  She WILL notice boys someday...whether her dad likes it or not. 


The other glaring truth that both he and I can not ignore is that while our daughter might be indifferent to the idea of boyfriend/girlfriend relationships, many of the girls she comes in contact with at church, in sports, or in the neighborhood are not.  Sadly, we've known girls as young as seven and eight who have already experienced their first "boyfriend/girlfriend" relationship.  

It is our job, as her parents, to help her to see her true identity in Christ.  To encourage her to develop high standards for relationships.  To embrace both emotional and physical purity.  Much of this teaching is covert.  It comes from a Godly dad who recognizes that his daughter's view of he opposite sex begins with him.  

While I can and must guide her towards her role as a woman, it is his job as DAD to help her feel secure in her girlhood.  A dad should invest in his daughter, model Biblical manhood, and courageously guard her heart while she is far too young to know how to do it for herself.  

And although that is the desire of many great fathers, The Hubs included, many men don't always know HOW to do that.  

How does a man who was once a boy foster a loving relationship with a girl who will one day be a woman?  A girl he doesn't always understand?  And who doesn't always understand him?  

ENTER Bob & Dannah Gresh.



Founders of one of my favorite tween-girl ministries, Secret Keeper Girl, Bob & Dannah Gresh have been helping parents of tweens navigate this pivotal life stage for over a decade and have written numerous books including one of the Top 10 best parenting books I've ever read, Six Ways to Keep the "Little" in Your Little Girl.

Their books offer a rare look into the hearts and minds of tweens and teens and deliver practical tips and tools for parents to use while investing in the lives of the young people God has given them.  My personal library is stocked with several Gresh titles and I continue to refer to them for inspiration and direction.

Their latest book, Talking With Your Daughter About Understanding Boys, is no exception. It is a wonderful resource designed specifically for dads of daughters and provides all the planning and suggestions for eight great dates every dad should share with his daughter.


What you'll find in Talking With your daughter about understanding boys

Part 1:  

The first three chapters of the book are written by Bob Gresh to dads of daughters explaining WHY and HOW dads should take a proactive role in the lives of their daughters.  

Part 2:  

The next eight chapters are easy-to-read planning guides for preparing eight memorable dates for a dad and his daughter.  Each chapter includes the following:
  • Prep talk- a short "pep talk" from Bob Gresh to encourage the dad just before the date...to remind him of WHY this particular date is so important
  • SKG Radio- downloadable MP3 audio commentary from Bob and Dannah for the dad and daughter to listen to while in route to their date
  • Dad and Daughter Challenge- the step-by-step plans and suggestions for a great date designed to answer questions like..."What was God thinking when He created girls to like boys?  Why is everyone boy-crazy? Should I be? When can I start to date? and How can I embrace purity?" (from Talking with Your Daughter About Understanding Boys by Bob & Dannah Gresh) While The Hubs and I lean more towards a courting mindset than a dating one, a resource like this will help open the door of conversation with our daughter to discuss the differences between the two.
  • Talk with Dad- pull out pages offering a more in-depth look at what Scripture has to say about the date-night topic and opportunity for the dad to have a heart-to-heart talk with his daughter
  • Finish Strong- a simple prayer suggestion to end the date

Part 3:  

The final three chapters of the book offer additional helps including father-daughter devotional ideas, ideas for single moms, and copies of the "Talk With Dad" pull-out pages.

The Nitty-Gritty of the book:

My thoughts about the book

The dates are do-able.

I love how easy-to-implement the prepared dates seem to be.  Each element of the date is organized and well-planned creating a do-able feel to the entire dad/daughter date idea.  I think even the most timid dad will be able to create a memorable and meaningful date with this book as his guide.  Each date, while whimsical and fun for girls, has a "masculine" tone that will not only be appreciated by the dads, but will help a girl to begin to understand the opposite sex.  The date titles include the following:

  • Mission Impossible!
  • Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice
  • As You Wish
  • Sticks and Stones
  • Natural Treasure
  • How Does Your Garden Grow?
  • Star Track-The Final Frontier
  • Dress for Success 

The dates are budget-friendly.

While most of the dates do require a few small purchases or expenses, alternative ideas have also been included for those who are on a more limited budget.  

The dates and book themes are appropriate for innocent young ladies.

Too often, parenting tween books...even ones with a Christian world-view...are written with the assumption that ALL 8-12 year-old-girls are worldly-wise, have a crush on the latest IT boy band singer, and have "hot stuff" bedazzled on the back end of their jeans.  Not every girl is like that.  And more importantly, MY girl is not like that.  I appreciate the fact that the activities and overall tone of the book is not "all-things-trendy".  I have no desire to introduce my daughter to the watered-down, tween lingo that is so prevalent in today's society.  Bob and Dannah Gresh have written with a high standard...even in the sections specifically for the girls to read.  The entire book is brimming with Scripture and points both dads and daughters to what is good.

The book design is age-appropriate for tweens.

Obviously with a title like Talking With Your Daughter About Understanding Boys, a book of this nature, while written for dads, is going to catch the eye of a daughter.  The illustrations and designs will be very appealing to any tween girl.  That being said, this could be a deterrent for some men to want to read it.  It has a definite "tween girl feel" with many bubbles, captions, and "cute" doodles.  

The book is a quick read.

Much in part due to the "cute" formatting of the book, it is a relatively quick read.  A busy dad will have no problem sifting through the information easily and efficiently to plan a successful date.

The book can be adapted.

For girls of single mothers or girls who just want additional opportunity to explore the things they learned on their dates with dad, Dannah Gresh has teamed up with Suzy Weibel to offer A Girl's Guide to Understanding Boys. After gently flipping through this companion edition written just for girls, I have penciled it in as a MUST READ for my Sweetie Pea next year.



Giveaway of Talking With Your Daughter About Understanding Boys by Bob & Dannah Gresh {The Unlikely Homeschool}


Wanna win a copy?

Now's your chance to grab your very own copy of the Talking With Your Daughter About Understanding Boys. One lucky reader will win! There are several chances to enter. Just click on the +sign for every entry you wish to make.

No purchase necessary to win.  Must be 18 years old or older and have a US or Canadian address to enter.  The winners will be randomly selected via Rafflecopter and announced sometime after Monday, July 7, 2014.  The winner will be notified by email and will have 72 hours to respond.  If an email is not provided or the winner does not respond, the prize will be forfeited and a new winner will be randomly selected.  This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook.

***Mandatory Entry: To enter, be sure to leave a comment in the "comments" section of this post telling me what was the last date your daughter went on with her dad.  Where did they go? What did they do?  (Remember, simply leaving a comment does not ensure entry.  You also have to click the +5 after you have commented.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I was given a copy of Talking With Your Daughter About Understanding Boys in exchange for my thorough and honest review.  All opinions expressed are completely my own.  I am not responsible if your experiences vary.  

23 comments:

  1. My girls went on a date to the movie then went to hobby lobby. They wanted to make crafts so dad took them to hobby lobby to see what they could make

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  2. our girl loves to go on hikes and catch tadpoles with her Dad.

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  3. My husband took my daughter to brunch one of her favorite places. Then they looked at all the trees. He let her pick out a bottle of blood orange olive oil too.
    Karolyn K.

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  4. One of mine went to a football game with Dad, and another went bowling. The third is still waiting for her turn.

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  5. I don't know if my daughter (5) and husband have been on an "official" date or not - but they go out together all the time. Mostly to the hardware store. Ha, ha!

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  6. Lisa J - My hubs and daughter went out for ice cream at cold stone for her birthday and shared a like it together.

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  7. My daughter is not even two, so I don't know that they've been on an official date, but does carrying her on his back while chopping firewood count? My husband grew up with all brothers, so a having a girl is a new adventure for him. I would love to give him some resources, like this book, to help guide him as he desires to be a positive influence in her life.

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  8. Rhonda L - My girls like to go on dinner dates with their daddy. They are twins but prefer to go one on one with him. They usually pick out their own clothes and the restaurant themselves.

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  9. My husband takes our girls wherever they want to eat on their birthday, then shopping afterwards. They love Daddy time!

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  10. We try to do monthly dates with each of our kids. The last one my hubby and our daughter went on together was to Starbucks for a cake pop then across the parking lot to the pet store to look at the cute fuzzies and then over to Lowes to look at the outdoor water fountains (which, for whatever reason, is enthralling!) They spend the time talking, cuddling, giggling, and just all around enjoying each other's presence. :)

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  11. The last date our daughter went on with her daddy was this past Saturday. They rose early and went out for breakfast then went to Old Navy so she could pick out a pair of flip flops. Being the only girl with 4 brothers, she really looks forward to her time with daddy alone.

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  12. They went out to lunch after church yesterday. Talked about our upcoming vacation and our vacation traditions.

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  13. No official dates yet- that's why I'm so excited about this resource. Hope my comment doesn't show up twice- I had an issue with it.

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  14. (tried to post this already but not sure if it worked)
    My husband hasn't taken my girls on any real dates yet, but they've been spending lots of quality time this summer playing videogames. That counts, right? :)

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  15. I love this blog post! My oldest girl is soon to be 8, and I heard her mention just the other day that her daddy said they are going to go out on a dinner date soon. Very interested in the resources you mentioned. :)

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  16. My husband took our daughter to a father daughter dance and out to dinner. It was the first time they have every gone on a date like that and I think they will cherish that memory forever;-)

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  17. My husband took our daughter shopping and to lunch. It was sweet time of talking and having fun together.

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  18. I don't know that they have been on an official date yet, but my husband makes a point of taking turns bringing along each child when he drives to town...

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  19. My husband has never taken my 12 year old on a date. I would love to encourage him to do it!

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  20. Their last date was for breakfast at Panera. They enjoyed good food and good conversation.

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  21. Their last date was to Olive Garden. They ate and chatted.

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  22. My six year old daughter LOVES Daddy-Daughter dates. Their most recent date included the movies and ice cream afterwards. It is so much fun to see how excited she gets to spend quality time with her dad. ;)

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  23. My husband and six-year-old daughter have been going on bike rides together! The last time they rode to half-price books and culver's for ice cream.

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