I am thrilled to be able to share this amazing book with some lucky readers–perfect timing as Mother’s Day nears, and we women celebrate being a mother and/or a daughter!  Two will win an autographed copy of The Myth of the Perfect Girl by Ana Homayoun, and one will receive a surprise gift from the author herself–things like crafts, paper, and activities for a mother and daughter to share.

I just finished reading this book myself, and it has been eye-opening to say the least.  I will admit that I haven’t read a lot of parenting books through the years.  I normally rely on my gut and my degree in psychology when I’m making parenting decisions.  But this is definitely a book worth reading if you have daughters, no matter how much trust you have in yourself as a parent.  I have come away with so much new knowledge and a fresh perspective–the author’s words will surely ring in my ears for years to come as my four daughters go through their preteen and teen years.  I know I will make a lot of choices based on what I have just read.  Before reading this informative book, I believe that I would have done some things in the coming years that would not have benefited my girls but rather contributed to the problems that I was, in fact, trying to help them solve.

Ana Homayoun knows her subject matter, and she presents so many points of view that you will probably feel like she’s been in your house and spent time with your own family!  In today’s day and age, we parents need to respect the fact that growing up is more challenging than ever before as our children are surrounded by social media–something we never had to deal with as youngsters.  It can be difficult for a girl, in particular, even to find her own voice these days with the constant and immediate feedback from texts, tweets, and through various social websites.  Our daughters are constantly striving for perfection in today’s achievement culture–they are stressed out and stretched thin–and oftentimes, they are quite unhappy, despite what we may think.  While reading The Myth of the Perfect Girl, I couldn’t help but reflect on this post I recently wrote after a reader criticized me for choosing to be a stay at home mom even though I have a college degree.  In the post, I emphasized the need for us women to choose happiness; to be true to ourselves and to rely on our own measures of success, regardless of societal pressures.  Just as we women feel pushed to achieve at all costs even into our adult lives, then, it’s important to recognize the fact that the daughters we are raising feel those pressures even more.

As one review perfectly states, “Ana Homayoun is the counselor, expert, and friend every parent—and girl—needs.”  She shows us how we can help our daughters navigate such a turbulent time in their lives and how they can come out on the other side feeling confident, secure, and happy.  If you have a daughter, I believe this book is a must-read.

* If you have sons, be sure to check out her other book, That Crumpled Paper Was Due Last Week (to help disorganized and distracted boys succeed in school and life).

HOW TO ENTER:

There are many ways to enter within the widget below.  Each action counts as an entry.  (On the right where it says “entries earned”, you can see how many entries you’ve used up.  There are 7 possible ways to enter if you choose to do them all.)  Obviously, your odds of winning increase with each entry!  :)  Where you are asked to leave a comment somewhere, please be sure to “click” that you did so within the widget for that entry to count.  (I’m using the honor system here–thanks, everybody!)

Please let me know if you have any questions about the giveaway.  Thanks so much for entering!  The Myth of the Perfect Girl is definitely worth the read for those of you with daughters!!!  If you read it, I’d love to know what you think–and I know Ana Homayoun would, too!  :)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ana Homayoun is a nationally recognized counselor and consultant specializing in strategies for junior high and high school students. The founder and president of Green Ivy Educational Consulting and the author of That Crumpled Paper Was Due Last Week (to help disorganized and distracted boys succeed in school and life), she is a frequent writer and lecturer on adolescent issues.

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