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What a Girl Needs from Her Mom
Bestselling author and parenting expert Cheri Fuller equips moms for the challenge of raising daughters to become healthy, confident young women in today's changing world.
226 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 31, 2015
107 people are currently reading
849 people want to read
About the author
Cheri Fuller
102 books19 followersCheri Fuller is a gifted speaker and award-winning author of more than forty books, including The One Year Women’s Friendship Devotional, the bestselling When Mothers Pray, and A Busy Woman’s Guide to Prayer. Her books have been translated into many languages, and her speaking ministry has provided encouragement to people throughout the U.S. and abroad. A former Oklahoma Mother of the Year, Cheri has been a frequent guest on national TV and radio programs. Her articles on family, spiritual growth, relationships, and prayer have appeared in Family Circle, Focus on the Family, Guideposts, and many other publications. Cheri holds a master’s degree in English literature and is executive director of the nonprofit organization Redeeming the Family. She and her husband, Holmes, live in Oklahoma, and have three grown children and six wonderful grandchildren. Cheri’s books, Bible studies, and other resources can be found at www.cherifuller.com along with information on her speaking topics and how to schedule Cheri for events. To find out more about the ministry, visit www.redeemingthefamily.org.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
February 6, 2017
LOVED IT!
I'm mom to a 4 year old & we are so alike yet so different. I absolutely feel like this book even helped me understand myself better as well. I have been applying some of the knowledge I gathered & I do see myself approaching certain situations differently...on a more positive & calm way as well as understanding her better which does create a better connection. She's always been a daddy's girl but now she looks for me more. My goal is to read this book once every year to remind myself of all the changes she & I will go through to better understand my little girl as she faces those changes as I myself change.
I'm mom to a 4 year old & we are so alike yet so different. I absolutely feel like this book even helped me understand myself better as well. I have been applying some of the knowledge I gathered & I do see myself approaching certain situations differently...on a more positive & calm way as well as understanding her better which does create a better connection. She's always been a daddy's girl but now she looks for me more. My goal is to read this book once every year to remind myself of all the changes she & I will go through to better understand my little girl as she faces those changes as I myself change.
October 29, 2018
Super great book. Some of it was common sense, other content really stretched me and made me think. All of it is going to help me be a better mom to my daughter. And a lot of it can be applied to my relationship with my sons. Highly recommend.
October 28, 2019
I don’t think this is a life-shattering answer for all things parenthood or a go-to guide on how to raise a daughter, but it did have a lot of good suggestions and uplifting messages about motherhood. I think the author was sincere and it didn’t come across as too “preachy” for me. I’m glad I read it and I’m sure I’ll revisit it throughout the years.
August 9, 2025
An overall encouraging read about motherhood. This book made me think deeper about the purposes of my time with my daughter.
“Perhaps parents would enjoy their children more if they stopped to realize that the film of childhood can never be run through a second showing. -Evelyn Nown”
Perhaps a bit outdated (published in 2015, crazy that’s already ten years ago) and idealistic in some areas. I wouldn’t agree with everything the author says, but I appreciate how she continually brought it back to trusting the Lord and relying on his grace.
“Perhaps parents would enjoy their children more if they stopped to realize that the film of childhood can never be run through a second showing. -Evelyn Nown”
Perhaps a bit outdated (published in 2015, crazy that’s already ten years ago) and idealistic in some areas. I wouldn’t agree with everything the author says, but I appreciate how she continually brought it back to trusting the Lord and relying on his grace.
May 13, 2015
“It will be gone before you know it. The fingerprints on the wall appear higher and higher. Then suddenly they disappear.”
-Dorothy Evslin
This review will be a little different from the others, seeing as Mother’s Day is today. What a Girl Needs from Her Mom touches on many different subjects, and it can also be read for mother’s of sons as well, but they have a book for that too, What a Son Needs from His Mom. The most recurring theme that stood out was how we’re spending time with our children. Mother’s Day is about celebrating moms and why we cherish them. They’ve birthed us, fed us, nurtured us, and raised us into decent human beings but, let’s think about everyday motherhood. I’m writing this to challenge mother’s to be present with their kids in every moment.
First off, I’d like to say that I’ve always shamed myself for being on Facebook so much. I knew I was on there too much, it almost felt like a chore, if my hands were idle I needed to be checking my Facebook, a moment of quiet…checking that newsfeed. After two weeks of mulling over what to do, I finally deactivated my account, I felt so liberated as my stepmother would say. My husband liked Facebook for the stories and crazy videos other guys would post, but he knew it was also taking up too much of his time, so he unplugged as well. I’ll be honest, I kept my instagram, but I don’t have near as many friends, compared to the 800+ on Facebook, and when you have that many “acquaintances” there is ALWAYS something new to read, I could never find a stopping point.
Listen, this is in no way to shame or judge ANYONE. I’m not about that. I am so tired of reading judgment of women by women, like those articles that we passive aggressively share that make us look like perfect people or parents. Bottom line, we all want to belong, but we’re all different, let that marinate for a minute, we don’t have to be like everyone else. Social media is addicting, we can all admit that, it’s fun to see what other people have going on in their lives, but are we checking so often that we’re not even living our own lives? Yeah we’re posting pictures of what we’re doing, but are we posting more than we’re experiencing? At what cost are we spending all this time on our phones?
I spent a month Facebook-free and I truly loved it. I spent lots more time with my little one and found that I had more time to spend on other, more productive things I wanted to do. I did re-activate, in order to maintain my book review website, but realized that by deleting the app I’ve made it more difficult to check my Facebook. My husband is still deactivated, which means he spends lots more time with us and less in the bathroom on his iPad :) I know his tricks…let me go use the toilet for 30 min, yeah I know you’re just sitting in there for some away time, I get it, we’re all guilty. Just because we’re adults doesn’t mean we don’t need to have healthy boundaries. We have all sorts of weight loss techniques and diets from unhealthy food, why not try and diet from social media? Pick and choose which outlets you won’t spend as much valuable time on and keep those, limiting yourself to the more time consuming ones? Let’s call this the Facebook Diet.
We need to put the filters down and pick up our kids, they need us more than we can imagine in a very different culture than what we were raised. What message are we sending our kids? My Facebook friends are more important than what you have to say? Fuller describes in this book that the bond between mother and child develops the first moment their eyes lock and continues to flourish throughout the first and second year. These years are vital because they will learn to depend on us moms, not only physically but emotionally. If they need to be heard, HEAR them, listen to them and give them your undivided attention. As an adult, I cherish when my husband really listens to me, and I can tell when he does, it makes me feel heard. So, if as an adult I feel validated, my child surely would feel the same way and can understand when I’m on auto-pilot. We are their role models.
Our job as mothers in general is to empower, encourage, and finally pray over our children’s lives. At the end when our kids leave home, we won’t think, “I wish I would’ve spent more time on social media”, we know we’ll always want more time with them after they’ve moved out, so let’s be present now and take advantage of them wanting to spend time with us. “We have given our daughters roots. Now in prayer we ask God for the winds of His Spirit to be their inspiration and guide as they journey into adulthood. At every bend in the road and decision, a mother’s prayer is for her to turn to Christ and experience His faithfulness and love.”
There are little eyes upon you,
And they are watching night and day;
There are little ears that quickly
Take in every word you say.
There are little hands all eager
To do everything you do;
And a little girl who’s dreaming of the day she’ll be like you.
You’re the sweetheart’s idol;
You’re the wisest of the wise;
In her little mind, about you
No suspicions ever rise.
She believes in you devotedly;
Holds that all you say and do,
She will say and do in your way
When she’s grown up just like you.
There’s a wide-eyed little sweetheart
Who believes you’re always right;
And her ears are always open,
And she watches day and night.
You are setting an example
Every day in all you do;
For the little child who’s waiting
To grow up to be like you.
-Edgar Guest, 1881-1959
Gilt & Buckram…the framework that holds adventure.
**** 4 Stars
What a Girl Needs from Her Mom
by Cheri Fuller
224 Pages
Published April 7, 2015
ISBN-13: 978-0764212246
*Disclaimer: This eBook was received from Bethany House Publishers for an honest review.
-Dorothy Evslin
This review will be a little different from the others, seeing as Mother’s Day is today. What a Girl Needs from Her Mom touches on many different subjects, and it can also be read for mother’s of sons as well, but they have a book for that too, What a Son Needs from His Mom. The most recurring theme that stood out was how we’re spending time with our children. Mother’s Day is about celebrating moms and why we cherish them. They’ve birthed us, fed us, nurtured us, and raised us into decent human beings but, let’s think about everyday motherhood. I’m writing this to challenge mother’s to be present with their kids in every moment.
First off, I’d like to say that I’ve always shamed myself for being on Facebook so much. I knew I was on there too much, it almost felt like a chore, if my hands were idle I needed to be checking my Facebook, a moment of quiet…checking that newsfeed. After two weeks of mulling over what to do, I finally deactivated my account, I felt so liberated as my stepmother would say. My husband liked Facebook for the stories and crazy videos other guys would post, but he knew it was also taking up too much of his time, so he unplugged as well. I’ll be honest, I kept my instagram, but I don’t have near as many friends, compared to the 800+ on Facebook, and when you have that many “acquaintances” there is ALWAYS something new to read, I could never find a stopping point.
Listen, this is in no way to shame or judge ANYONE. I’m not about that. I am so tired of reading judgment of women by women, like those articles that we passive aggressively share that make us look like perfect people or parents. Bottom line, we all want to belong, but we’re all different, let that marinate for a minute, we don’t have to be like everyone else. Social media is addicting, we can all admit that, it’s fun to see what other people have going on in their lives, but are we checking so often that we’re not even living our own lives? Yeah we’re posting pictures of what we’re doing, but are we posting more than we’re experiencing? At what cost are we spending all this time on our phones?
I spent a month Facebook-free and I truly loved it. I spent lots more time with my little one and found that I had more time to spend on other, more productive things I wanted to do. I did re-activate, in order to maintain my book review website, but realized that by deleting the app I’ve made it more difficult to check my Facebook. My husband is still deactivated, which means he spends lots more time with us and less in the bathroom on his iPad :) I know his tricks…let me go use the toilet for 30 min, yeah I know you’re just sitting in there for some away time, I get it, we’re all guilty. Just because we’re adults doesn’t mean we don’t need to have healthy boundaries. We have all sorts of weight loss techniques and diets from unhealthy food, why not try and diet from social media? Pick and choose which outlets you won’t spend as much valuable time on and keep those, limiting yourself to the more time consuming ones? Let’s call this the Facebook Diet.
We need to put the filters down and pick up our kids, they need us more than we can imagine in a very different culture than what we were raised. What message are we sending our kids? My Facebook friends are more important than what you have to say? Fuller describes in this book that the bond between mother and child develops the first moment their eyes lock and continues to flourish throughout the first and second year. These years are vital because they will learn to depend on us moms, not only physically but emotionally. If they need to be heard, HEAR them, listen to them and give them your undivided attention. As an adult, I cherish when my husband really listens to me, and I can tell when he does, it makes me feel heard. So, if as an adult I feel validated, my child surely would feel the same way and can understand when I’m on auto-pilot. We are their role models.
Our job as mothers in general is to empower, encourage, and finally pray over our children’s lives. At the end when our kids leave home, we won’t think, “I wish I would’ve spent more time on social media”, we know we’ll always want more time with them after they’ve moved out, so let’s be present now and take advantage of them wanting to spend time with us. “We have given our daughters roots. Now in prayer we ask God for the winds of His Spirit to be their inspiration and guide as they journey into adulthood. At every bend in the road and decision, a mother’s prayer is for her to turn to Christ and experience His faithfulness and love.”
There are little eyes upon you,
And they are watching night and day;
There are little ears that quickly
Take in every word you say.
There are little hands all eager
To do everything you do;
And a little girl who’s dreaming of the day she’ll be like you.
You’re the sweetheart’s idol;
You’re the wisest of the wise;
In her little mind, about you
No suspicions ever rise.
She believes in you devotedly;
Holds that all you say and do,
She will say and do in your way
When she’s grown up just like you.
There’s a wide-eyed little sweetheart
Who believes you’re always right;
And her ears are always open,
And she watches day and night.
You are setting an example
Every day in all you do;
For the little child who’s waiting
To grow up to be like you.
-Edgar Guest, 1881-1959
Gilt & Buckram…the framework that holds adventure.
**** 4 Stars
What a Girl Needs from Her Mom
by Cheri Fuller
224 Pages
Published April 7, 2015
ISBN-13: 978-0764212246
*Disclaimer: This eBook was received from Bethany House Publishers for an honest review.
December 10, 2018
I decided to read a book about raising a girl because I've had struggles with parenting my own daughter. This one was a good book to start that personal journey with. If you're looking for a funny, witty self-help book, this isn't the one for you. This was a very down-to-earth, straight forward but inspiring book that gives suggestions on how to better connect with your daughter, how to help her along the path of growing up- all while maintaining a religious perspective. I got emotionally invested when it came to the chapter about praying for your daughter. An easy read, this book was thought-provoking and gave me some concepts to think about as I try to connect with my own daughter better. I would recommend it to moms out there who are interested in doing the same.
April 28, 2024
DNF more than half way. & I see no point of continuing listening. She is not adding anything to me.
The authoress has good intentions, but lack wisdom and knowledge.
“My house my rules” is one of the nastiest things to say to your kid!
Guilting the working mom is another stupid thing, in my opinion!
The attachment issues goes both ways. Even moms should work on their attachment style, because the natural detachment that happens around puberty is bringing up the mom’s insecurities as well
Not everything is the mom’s fault. True, but the environment is a key factor in selecting which genes are going to play a role in the kid’s life.
These are some of the points that I remember.
The authoress has good intentions, but lack wisdom and knowledge.
“My house my rules” is one of the nastiest things to say to your kid!
Guilting the working mom is another stupid thing, in my opinion!
The attachment issues goes both ways. Even moms should work on their attachment style, because the natural detachment that happens around puberty is bringing up the mom’s insecurities as well
Not everything is the mom’s fault. True, but the environment is a key factor in selecting which genes are going to play a role in the kid’s life.
These are some of the points that I remember.
September 6, 2024
As a mom to teens, sometimes I need a parenting refresher, more so now than ever. Parenting is the most crucial job, and it's a fickle one. As hard as we try, we aren't perfect and make mistakes. Being a stay-at-home mom is especially tricky. We go from being needed to ghosted almost overnight. This book reminded me that teen moodiness is not personal, albeit it can feel like it. Teens don't need us to fix their problems - they need us to listen without judgment no matter how much we want to offer advice. Moms, put your damn phones away. Nothing on social media is more important than spending quality time with your kids.
October 7, 2021
Some really great nuggets of truth in here, but hard to listen through the whole book to find them. Some of the examples are very specific (like having a daughter that wants to be an actress and how to not be a "stage mom"). Also, the narrator is really hard to listen to. A physical copy of the book would probably be the best way to go as you could delve into whatever chapter that's applicable to you as a Mom and use the journaling questions at the end of the chapter to reflect.
November 3, 2024
I found this so uplifting and inspiring! This is a suitable read for a mother of any age. So much food for thought and advice for not only being the best mother you can be, but your best self. I plan to read or listen to this gem again someday when I need friendly reminders. The absolute only negative to this was that the audible version’s voice was too robotic, but this was a minor setback from the content overall. Otherwise, highly recommend!
April 28, 2025
Maybe I just didn't find this super helpful in my current season, but I feel like other books do a better job on this subject than this one. If you want a LOT of stories about other moms...this book is for you. But the over all advice is just subpar. It isnt wrong, just not super helpful of indepth. Kathy Koch's books do a better job, along with other parenting books. I dont plan to reread or keep. I would suggest other books more, but if you have girls it wouldn't be an awful read.
January 13, 2021
Well-written and encouraging. As a mom of a 12-year-old daughter, I need all the advice and inspiration possible for raising her well. Cheri Fuller provides practical parenting advice on many important topics specific to girls. More than that, however, she provides inspiration for ways to bond with, pray for, and lift up these beautiful girls who will one day, not so far from now, be women.
August 15, 2024
I'm a father with four daughters and desirous of learning more of how to love my girls. This book was written for moms with girls, but I think it has some valuable insights dads can glean from (hint, hint, Mrs. Author lol). She quotes Meg Meeker, which has excellent material on raising daughters. Overall, very good and helpful insight!
November 1, 2021
I didn’t expect this one to have Christian underlying themes. I skimmed through most of those parts. There were some good nuggets throughout the book that I’ll use with the girls. Honestly, I wasn’t looking for a Christian based book, I wanted something more practical. 2 stars.
February 16, 2023
This is from a Christian perspective on how to improve your relationship with your daughter.
I listened to this on auditable a few years ago and really enjoyed it. I gave it another listen and learned something new this time around.
I think I’m going to try to give this a listen once a year. 😀
I listened to this on auditable a few years ago and really enjoyed it. I gave it another listen and learned something new this time around.
I think I’m going to try to give this a listen once a year. 😀
January 15, 2024
A good portion of this was helpful; however it quickly falls into the trap of up and to the right achievement that is crushing our kids. Clinging to the helpful parts, the concepts of being present and listening over speaking keeps in a solid 3 star.
May 22, 2025
Enjoyed this more than I thought I would! I have 2 girls - and feel like there are a lot of areas that I need guidance on - especially because my Mom has passed away. This addressed so many helpful topics - I will prob read it again!
May 9, 2020
Really random tips. My take away is to use time to pray and talk with daughter. The time goes fast and you need to work on building a relationship and supporting the person she becomes.
February 20, 2021
Not anything groundbreaking that I didn’t know, but a lot of thoughtful suggestions and ideas.
Read
November 2, 2022I learned a lot from this book.
I struggled with a majority of the religion aspects and skipped multiple chapters. I do not identify as religious but more spiritual
I struggled with a majority of the religion aspects and skipped multiple chapters. I do not identify as religious but more spiritual
December 29, 2022
Good tools on how to navigate your relationship with your daughter, and how it evolves as they grow older.
May 22, 2023
Que buen libro con muchas ideas para ayudaeme.
January 20, 2024
Un libro muy práctico par poner en obra y con varios principios cristianos.
March 11, 2024
This book helped me so much with communicating and just being there the way my tween daughter needs me to be there. Highly recommend to anyone who is raising girls!
March 26, 2024
DNF at 50%. The book isn't horrible or anything. I just didn't feel like I was learning anything substantial or inspirational from it. Would give it to someone else, though.
October 11, 2024
What an AMAZING parenting book!
October 23, 2024
Such a very sweet book and such practical advice which can easily enhance the mother-daughter relationship.
December 21, 2024
Had some good tips but somewhat outdated.
June 23, 2025
What she covers seem like obvious points, but they are good reminders, and her journaling prompts were a good addition.
April 25, 2015
As a mother of two daughters, one who is currently in her difficult teenage years, when I saw this book I knew it was something I wanted to read. Honestly, this book should be required reading for anyone who has daughters – they should put a copy of it in your gift bag at the hospital upon birth of said daughter (there’s a second book for mother’s of boys as well).
Let’s face it – when you bring home that little bundle of sweetness wrapped up in a pink blanket, you think it’s going to be easy. Boys are the hard ones – those rambunctious tornados who can’t sit still for a moment. The truth is, girls can be just as difficult as boys are but on a totally different level. Boys are difficult because of their curiosity and adventurism; girls are difficult because of their need for social interaction and because of their emotions.
Cheri Fuller does a great job of providing insight into the mother/daughter relationship as well as walking the reader step by step through the many perils of raising a daughter. She also pinpoints the many ways we as mother's fail our daughters. As she does so, she weaves in humor and stories of her own mistakes and situations in raising her own daughter as well as those of other families. She points out how things are much different now then when many of us were young girls and what mothers really need to be aware of in this jungle of the technological age.
The book is divided up into 14 points of interest as to what we need to be for our daughters. Each of these points are covered in entirety in its own chapter, which makes a great place to go if you bought this book to pinpoint one particular are to work on.. Some of the topics that are covered are : Being a mom who is present and engaged, being a mom who encourages and builds confidence, being a mom who prays for her daughter, being a mom who is a good role model, being a mom who helps develops a daughter of character, and being a mom who listens with her heart.
The book is far from being a dry textbook and really connects with the readers heart. Each chapter concludes with questions for journaling to dig deeper into your thoughts and to provide a moment of self reflection in your own mother/daughter relationship.
Over all, I found this to be a great book for any mother to read, regardless to the age of her daughter. My oldest daughter and I have a pretty good relationship, however I found much information here that I can bring into our relationship to make it not a “pretty good” but a strong connection that will endure the years. It will also help me to avoid many of the same mistakes that I made in my relationship with my oldest daughter when it comes to my youngest daughter.
Read it early on when your daughters are young to avoid much of the emotional conflict that comes when they get old. Read it when your daughters are older in order to lesson that conflict and rebuild the mother/daughter relationship that has might have been damaged.
I would give this book a 4 out of 5.
I received a copy of this book from Bethany House Publishing in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts expressed here are my own.
Let’s face it – when you bring home that little bundle of sweetness wrapped up in a pink blanket, you think it’s going to be easy. Boys are the hard ones – those rambunctious tornados who can’t sit still for a moment. The truth is, girls can be just as difficult as boys are but on a totally different level. Boys are difficult because of their curiosity and adventurism; girls are difficult because of their need for social interaction and because of their emotions.
Cheri Fuller does a great job of providing insight into the mother/daughter relationship as well as walking the reader step by step through the many perils of raising a daughter. She also pinpoints the many ways we as mother's fail our daughters. As she does so, she weaves in humor and stories of her own mistakes and situations in raising her own daughter as well as those of other families. She points out how things are much different now then when many of us were young girls and what mothers really need to be aware of in this jungle of the technological age.
The book is divided up into 14 points of interest as to what we need to be for our daughters. Each of these points are covered in entirety in its own chapter, which makes a great place to go if you bought this book to pinpoint one particular are to work on.. Some of the topics that are covered are : Being a mom who is present and engaged, being a mom who encourages and builds confidence, being a mom who prays for her daughter, being a mom who is a good role model, being a mom who helps develops a daughter of character, and being a mom who listens with her heart.
The book is far from being a dry textbook and really connects with the readers heart. Each chapter concludes with questions for journaling to dig deeper into your thoughts and to provide a moment of self reflection in your own mother/daughter relationship.
Over all, I found this to be a great book for any mother to read, regardless to the age of her daughter. My oldest daughter and I have a pretty good relationship, however I found much information here that I can bring into our relationship to make it not a “pretty good” but a strong connection that will endure the years. It will also help me to avoid many of the same mistakes that I made in my relationship with my oldest daughter when it comes to my youngest daughter.
Read it early on when your daughters are young to avoid much of the emotional conflict that comes when they get old. Read it when your daughters are older in order to lesson that conflict and rebuild the mother/daughter relationship that has might have been damaged.
I would give this book a 4 out of 5.
I received a copy of this book from Bethany House Publishing in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts expressed here are my own.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews