Why I read this book: I got this when my first daughter was born about four years ago and read it then. It was important to me then, but as I now have two and they’re aging faster than I can track, I wanted to revisit. Side note: You probably can’t tell from the books I’ve posted to date, but I try to rotate my non-fiction between a few categories: Parenting/Spouse, Investing/Money, Personal Success, Writing…. So if you want any books on any of those subjects, I’m happy to point you to some. (;
Did I enjoy this book: Yes, but as I review it below, you can see that it essentially hammers the same point pretty ad nauseam. It’s a great point, but you get the picture pretty quickly.
What I learned from this book: On the parenting front, there are a few tips/tricks that are worthwhile, but since this is a blog on writing, here’s what I take on the writing front: Don’t get so buried in your writing you forget that there’s something a lot more important growing up right in front of you… and you don’t want to miss that.
Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters: 10 Secrets Every Father Should Know by Meg Meeker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Dr Meg Meeker takes you through multiple pieces of advice on raising your daughter to grow healthy, both physically and emotionally. The book is punctuated with a series of real examples from her own experiences as a doctor… the things she has run into, and the stories her patients have told her. She backs up her statements and advice with statistics, citing them all so that you can understand she’s not just spouting pure opinion.
The book can generally be summarized by: Be present in your kid’s life, and it will make all the difference.
That said, she does pull some heartstrings as she relates emotions that fathers will know are very real as we watch our princesses grow into young women. She focuses especially on areas that I know scare the dickens out of me: Body Image (and Eating Disorders) and Sex. That said, the advice she gives on all of these items always comes back to the line mentioned above: Make sure you are present and paying attention… Don’t check out and let your child go.
Overall, it was a good read, and even if it only reiterates many things I know (in my rational mind), it’s a book I will likely read again and again to remind myself how important it is to be a part of my daughter’s world… and how fast that world can slip by if you aren’t present for it.
Start Your Fiction 