I recently read the book “Secure Daughters, Confident Sons: How Parents Guide Their Children into Authentic Masculinity and Femininity” by Glenn T. Stanton.  As a Mom of twin daughters I am constantly striving to improve my parenting skills so I can be a better person and raise my girls to be healthy, happy and caring women.  “Secure Daughters, Confident Sons” is a book that discusses why gender matters when raising our children.  Our culture shows our kids a variety of stereotypes and as parents we want to encourage our children to grow up to be great men and women.

In Stanton’s book he clarifies that we are all made in the divine image of God, both male and female.  As parents we are to “train a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not turn from it” Proverbs 22:6.  Each child is distinct individual and their path may not look the same as their siblings.  There are certain qualities we should teach consistently, however, every child will journey on their individual paths.  We are all unique individuals.  One other statement that popped out to me was Stanton’s quote from Dr. Louann Brizendine, “More than 99 percent of male and female genetic coding is exactly the same…..less than one percent variation…..But that percentage difference influences every single cell in our bodies…..”

Glenn Stanton’s book has two sections :

1.  “A Clear Vision for Authentic Manhood and Womanhood – and How to Help Your Kids Get There” In this section Stanton shows parents ways they can encourage their children to grow up to be healthy adults.  Guiding your children begins at an early age.  The book has chapters that focus specifically on boys / men and chapters on girls / women.   These chapters are beneficial for setting the foundations for your children.  Even if you have all boys or all girls in your family you will benefit by reading the chapters on the opposite gender.  (I have two girls in my family, however, reading the chapters on boys helps me better understand my husband, brothers, nephews, etc….) As a parent you want your children to happy,  successful, and have a healthy balance of strength and compassion for God and others.  Stanton gives parents practical tips to help guide your children.

2.  “Why Boys and Girls Need Mothers and Fathers” Being a parent adds extra responsibility in your life since you and your spouse are the primary examples for your children. Each parent plays a unique role in the lives of their children and both contribute to the development of the kids.  We want to create a home of positive influence, security, and variety of interactions for our children (being examples in a many ways from how we raise the kids, discipline, working through disagreements, play, communication, manners, marriage, and more) .  What they learn and experience at home can provide a strong foundation as they mature into adults.

Another great addition to this book is the Q&A section at the end of each chapter.  The questions address the information that was discussed in the chapter and provides more specific tips.  Every family is different and has unique situations therefore it is nice to see some extra advice given to families with the Q&A segment.

Glenn Stanton did a pretty good job discussing a rather sensitive cultural topic in this book.  He had a mix of both spiritual and secular studies from professionals at leading Universities.  It is a good book for people who have children of their own, plan to have them, or are around children.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes from the publisher through the Waterhouse Multnomah.  The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”