Bringing Up Girls (book trailer): the Race

Dear Dr. Dobson,

THANK YOU! We were thinking you had forgotten those of us who aren't bringing up boys, but I knew that didn't seem like you. I had a feeling you were going to come through with some help for those of us bringing up girls, and indeed you have. In fact, I'll bet you've saved the best for last!

Bringing up girls in this world is harder than hard. Sometimes it feels dang near impossible, no matter how hard you try, to cover all the bases. As one of my dear friends put it: Ten is the new 13. In other words, privileges and responsibilities we had at ages 13 to 14, girls now have at ages 9 or 10. Why? Why aren't they just allowed to be little girls?! They have the rest of their lives to be adults! And the culture pulls at us, parents, to push them to grow up. It's subtle, but it's there. Cell phones, youtube, computers and video games, ipods, nickteen (or is it teen-nick?), (which is way to grown up and unnecessarily racy for teens) stores like Abercrombie and Limited Too marketing grown up looks to kids in elementary school. They are little things, but when you have dozens of little things...it's exhausting!

Being "in the world, and not of it," sounds better and better, but gets harder and harder. These girls, our little women, deserve better. They deserve to be allowed to be girls, little girls, for as long as is developmentally appropriate. They deserve to be allowed to act like little girls, not like little teenagers in little girls' bodies. They deserve to be able to wear pig-tails and bows for as long as they want because they are cute; they deserve to be able not see a disturbing image on accident during prime-time. The culture comes to us. It's everywhere - it's on billboards, commercials, the news, bumper stickers and t-shirts - it's EVERYWHERE! And this makes it hard to raise your children, whether sons or daughters, different. Moreover, choosing to raise your children counter-culture will bring no small amount of flack, not only from your kids' friends, but from their parents! Who knew that peer pressure never really goes away!

I have yet to read a single page of your book, but I cannot wait to get that book in my hands! Parenting is not for wimps, like my dad says. And I'll be the first to admit I NEED SOME HELP! Girls are complicated! And God saw fit to give us three. So if you're ready to share some wisdom, this mama is ready to hear it! I hear you've put your heart and soul into this book. And those of us bringing up girls are ready!

With sincere gratitude,

Allison, Emma, and Meagan's mommy