Saturday, August 20, 2005

Finally had time to read something other than a test book this week, so I began reading a book that a friend lent me. It's called The Body Project and it's a great read if you have girls. The author takes the reader from Victorian Era to now explaining the relationship between a girl and her body. Must say....it kinda freaked me out. How does one combat a culture that tells girls their worth is in their appearance? I know my mom tried, but I still spent most of my adolescence completely focused on my outside. The next to last chapter is title "The Disappearance of Virginity" and boy does it make me want to lock Kayleigh up until she's thirty. Now I realize that this is not possible, nor is it healthy, and I know that I can't protect her from the world....but I sure wish I could. I remember is middle school when a boy classmate told me to meet him in the lost and found closet (wink, wink), and instead of feeling totally appauled, I laughed. I thought it was funny and never thought about it as harrassment. Boys walked down the halls grabbing girls butts and we thought it was a compliment! Mom told me this stuff wasn't acceptable...but what 13-year old actually thinks mom knows what she's talking about. How does one raise a daughter to be confindent enough in who she is to not crave the attention of hormone-charged teenage boys?

3 comments:

Brenda said...

The first thing to do is cover Kayleigh with prayers and set a hedge of protection around her body, mind and soul. Then, you just keep teaching her that she is worth so much more than what the world will tell her. If you teach by actions, not just lip service, she will beleive it for herself and expect to be treated with honor and respect from others. Lastly, you can remind her that she lives in the Lake-cities where her extended family lives and we will all be praying and watching out for her.

Charlotte said...

I'll venture a comment here because it's 3am and e-mailing takes too much brain power right now.

I did a lot of reading while I was in the Philippines, and one of my reads was Captivating, by John and Stasi Eldredge. It has an excellent chapter on mother-daughter-sister relationships. The basic gist of the book is that woman has struggled for attention since Eve and that until we know that our desire for attention can only be fulfilled as thoroughly as we want it to by God, we will continue to be disappointed. That's way oversimplified, of course. If you haven't read it, it's a great read, and I believe it would help you feel more confident with some of your questions about raising a daughter :-).

Caroline said...

I am glad I read this entry so I can check the books suggested out. I have the same worries for my daughter.... shouldn't there be a support group for this?