Steve Biddulph’s Raising Girls (Steve Biddulph, Finch Publishing)

Best known for his book Raising Boys, psychologist Steve Biddulph has written a companion piece, motivated in part by his belief that since the mid-2000s there has been a marked increase in a number of issues affecting girls, including eating disorders, self-harm and depression. Raising Girls is a guidebook aimed at parents to help them lay the foundations for bringing up happy, well-adjusted daughters. Biddulph moves through the stages of girlhood, from infancy to adolescence to adulthood, outlines potential risks and offers ideas to combat ‘anti-social’ media, sexualisation, bullies and other problems girls may face. Alongside his own training, Biddulph has consulted experts and parents and incorporated the latest child-development theories in his book, which is also filled with anecdotal stories. There are bullet-point summaries to reinforce each section. Raising Girls is practical and easy to follow. There are times when the comments and advice are self-evident (for example, you are your daughter’s first role model so be careful how you act around her) but on the whole it’s a well-structured look at some of the hazards that may affect the mental and physical health of girls. This is a good present for new parents or for those already struggling with recalcitrant daughters.

Thuy On is a Melbourne-based critic, editor and manuscript assessor

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Category: Reviews