Book Recommendation: Girls on the Edge by Leonard Sax

One the greatest joys in my private practice is being part of the journey for so many girls and their families.  Each family is unique in the strengths and struggles.  My respect for my clients and their resiliency through the many transitions and crises life throws their way is great.  Leonard Sax’s new book, Girls on the Edge: The Four Factors Driving the New Crisis for Girls is a book for anyone parenting a girl or for any professional such teachers, coaches, therapists, physicians, ministers, etc. offering services to a girl and her family.  He explores four factors to consider in the development of girls: their sexual identity (and culture’s early sexualization of their identity), the “cyberbubble” (being hyperconnected online and disconnected in life), obsessions (such as appearances, sports, school, etc.), and environmental toxins.

One aspect of Sax’s books that I appreciate is that he does not just throw a lot of negative influences he sees in the world and then leave you hanging.  He goes on to devote a chapter to the mind, body, and the spirit with various suggestions for how to be aware of a girls’ needs and how to parent her through her development.

If you missed his earlier books, Boys Adrift and Why Gender Matters, these books are also worth a close look.