Before Your Tween Daughter Becomes a Woman: A Mom’s Must-Have Guide

by Robin Jones Gunn

Your little girl is growing quickly. You want to prepare her for the changes that are already happening to her body. But how?

In Before Your Tween Daughter Becomes a Woman , bestselling author Robin Jones Gunn provides heart-level mentoring that will help you and your young daughter grow closer rather than drifting apart as she reaches adolescence. This is your chance—not for having “the talk”—but for beginning a conversation that will continue as your daughter grows into the beautiful young woman God created her to be.

Talking about periods and other natural changes doesn’t have to be awkward. Even if your own experience was less than ideal, there’s no need to be nervous. Instead, you can make it a fun, memorable occasion that helps to strengthen the bond between you and your daughter. In each chapter, you’ll find ideas to boost your confidence as you create a pathway into this next season for your young girl.

This book includes

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction, Christian Non Fiction

169 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2023

About the author

ROBIN JONES GUNN has written more than 100 books with over 6.5 million copies sold worldwide. Her Father Christmas books have been made into three Hallmark Christmas movies. The timeless Christy Miller series now continues in Christy & Todd: The College Years, Married Years, Baby Years, and the Haven Maker series. Robin's novels and non-fiction works include Before Your Tween Daughter Becomes a Woman, Victim of Grace, Praying for Your Future Husband, and Before You Meet Your Future Husband co-authored with Tricia Goyer. Her books have received multiple awards and are a favorite with book clubs and study groups. Many of Robin's books are in eBook, audiobook, large print, and foreign editions. Robin does a weekly Podcast called "Women Worth Knowing" with Cheryl Brodersen. Robin and her husband have a grown son and daughter and live in California.

Reviews

[Lindsey (Books for Christian Girls) · Rating 4 out of 5]

**Not for young girls, but for their mothers and other parental figures**

About this book:

“Your little girl is growing quickly. You want to prepare her for the changes that are already happening to her body. But how?
In Before Your Tween Daughter Becomes a Woman, bestselling author Robin Jones Gunn provides heart-level mentoring that will help you and your young daughter grow closer rather than drifting apart as she reaches adolescence. This is your chance—not for having “the talk”—but for beginning a conversation that will continue as your daughter grows into the beautiful young woman God created her to be.
Talking about periods and other natural changes doesn’t have to be awkward. Even if your own experience was less than ideal, there’s no need to be nervous. Instead, you can make it a fun, memorable occasion that helps to strengthen the bond between you and your daughter. In each chapter, you’ll find ideas to boost your confidence as you create a pathway into this next season for your young girl.
This book includes
-ideas for how to broach the subject with your daughter,
-pitfalls to avoid, and
-encouraging stories from other moms.”


Series: As of now, no.


Spiritual Content- Scriptures are referenced, quoted, & discussed; Many talks & many mentions of God, raising your daughter to love Jesus, being specially created for a divine purpose, & honoring God’s design for women; 'H's are capital when referring to God; Mentions of those & events in the Bible (including Esther); Mentions of thanking God, prayers, praying, & blessings over food; Mentions of churches, church going, church events, & services; Mentions of blessings & being Blessed; A few mentions of blessing your children (the author would typically use one based off of “May the Lord bless you and keep you” with her children); A mention of a Bible study; A mention of Mass;
*Note: Mentions of Jewish customs (including Bar Mitzvahs & Bat Mitzvahs) & High Church customs; A few mentions of some cultures observing menstruation with the moon, Zodiac signs, or praying to Mother Earth; A couple mentions of angels.


Negative Content- A few mentions of wars; A few mentions of jealousy; A few mentions of eye rolling; A mention of a car accident & major injuries; A mention of childhood abuse; A mention of prison; A mention of lies; A mention of being made fun of at school; A mention of hearing people use God’s name in an unsacred way; A mention of gossip;
*Note: There is a story shared about a young girl disliking the mole on her face and being very happy and improving her self-image after her mother lets her get it removed; Mentions of being a safe haven for your daughter to come with questions and support (including a positive part of doing that is so the daughter has a less likely chance of sneaking around or gaining answers from other sources that don’t have her best interest at heart); Mentions of books, movies, fictional characters, & actresses/actors; A few mentions of Google & Siri; A mention of a twelve-year-old telling her mother she wanted plastic surgery and a tattoo; A mention of a teen girl “waiting and hoping for the day her mother would start being her friend as well as her mother”.


Sexual Content- This book is not about having “the birds and the bees” conversation, but discussing about puberty and upcoming changes with your daughter; Many mentions of puberty, periods, developing breasts and hair, hormones, organs and body parts, reproduction, & the honor of being a woman; Mentions of biology books, male and female organs and body parts, & the author explaining to her daughter “how a husband and wife bring their bodies together”; Mentions of period pain and seeing a family physician to “eliminate any potential issues, which can range from endometriosis and cysts to ovarian tumors and cervical cancer”; Mentions of dating; A few mentions of the sacred gift of marriage and sharing your body in it; A few mentions of some family members not being the safest place for your kids to be around & hinting to sexual abuse; A few mentions of having conversations about sexual intimacy & sex; A few mentions of having “the talk” or “the birds and the bees” conversation; A few mentions of eggs & sperm; A few mentions of a young teen pregnancy and the mother making the fear-driven choice to end the pregnancy (& later discussing it with her daughter); A few mentions of kisses & saving those kisses; A few mentions of crude and sexual words or terms being used (by young adults and teens that do not know what it means, none of the words are written); A couple mentions of sexuality & it being sacred; A couple mentions of seeing a man grab his wife’s breast in public and speaking to her in a derogatory way (the wife laughed it off, saying that “boys will be boys”; the author was in shock and sad to see that); A couple mentions of blossoming & late bloomers; A couple mentions of premenopausal; A couple mentions of boys not having something (like a period) that happens to them every month;
*Note: A letter is shared from a woman who was a tomboy growing up and her mother would affirm her (female) identity and that she “wasn’t confused about the way God created me because my mom made it clear that it was okay to be a strong, capable, no-frills, athletic woman”; Mentions of a girl’s privacy and teaching her that no one should touch or see the parts of herd body that are covered by underwear or a bathing suit & teaching her self-defense; A few mentions of a mother referring to menstruation as “the curse”; A few mentions of bras; A couple mentions of some people today having trouble defining the word woman; A mention of female circumcision that has “long been common in parts of Africa and the Middle East”; A mention of a harem (in the Bible); A mention of a girl’s first period being healthy, normal and natural but being shrouded in silence in Western culture; A mention of bachelorette parties; A mention of a daughter possibly being concerned over her weight after a comment from someone; A mention of a girl believing she had a flat rear end; A mention of shaving; A mention of swooning over Gilbert Blythe.

Non-Fiction Book for Parents
176 pages

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This book is for mothers, so the ratings here are for moms of these age groups:

For Moms of Pre Teens- Five Stars
For Moms of New Teens- Five Stars
For Moms of Early High School Teens- Four Stars
For Moms of Older High School Teens- Four Stars
My personal Rating- Four Stars

This is probably the second book I’ve ever reviewed on BFCG that is aimed specifically for mothers, but I think this guide is a great idea and since I’ve enjoyed many of Robin Jones Gunn’s other books (fiction and non-fiction), I decided to review it.

Let’s first note: This book is not for young girls, it’s for their moms, grandmothers, aunts, dads, and other parental figures in their lives that want to encourage, uplift, and be able to explain things to their loved girl during an important time in their lives.

Personally, I thought this book was interesting because of the advice and ideas in it. Now, I can’t say I would have loved all of these ideas as a tween (it truly depends on each girl!), but I can see the heart and thought process behind them and was glad to see alternate ideas given as well.

I feel like topics were handled very delicately with the honor that should be there on these important topics, and I really appreciate seeing that. It should be noted that while this book does discuss a lot about talking to your tween, it’s not too late to start a conversation if she’s older or the mother feels like it’s “too late”. Since you’re reading this content review, I’m going to assume that you care about what she reads and consumes—whether that be fiction or otherwise. I’d like to encourage you, mothers, to be that safe place for your girl to discuss things with you, no matter her age.


Link to review:
https://booksforchristiangirls.blogsp...



*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.

*I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book for free from the Publisher (Tyndale) for this honest review; Some things may be different or missing in the final edition, but I hope and pray this review covers the main content well.

[Maggie Carr · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little late coming to this great parenting resource, but I'm still going to implement some of other great conversation starter ideas and bonding moments. Thanks Robin!

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must read book if you have any young girl in your life! It has great ideas of how to make the transition into womanhood a wonderful experience and something to be celebrated! I loved how practical the ideas are for all different personality types.

[Lyndsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robin has a fantastic way of writing directly into the hearts of women and young ladies. This book is no different. Her passion for helping moms and other influential women in the lives of the next generation is so apparent in her words.

From the very first chapter she is very quick to explain this book is not just for moms but “anyone, fathers included, who has a position of influence over a young lady that has been entrusted to your care“.

As she continues through the different chapters she shares ideas on how to help make this time in our daughter’s life a celebration instead of shame filled.

I especially loved the care she gave to address that not every one has a good experience or memory of this time in her own youth. And she shows grace as she recounts her own experiences.

Each chapter ends with a letter Robin received from a mom highlighting how she was making this time special for her daughter. Robin also gives little tidbits from the chapter as bullet points so you can take the information and put it directly into action. There is also a section to make notes at the end of each chapter.

[Kathy Stone · Rating 1 out of 5]

Who is this book for?

This book is incomplete. It is supposed to be a book about preparing one's daughter for puberty, but it was just a bunch of bible passages with a how to throw different types of parties based on love languages. Okay, that is important, but the scientific /health information is also mire important as a young girl needs to know what is normal. The discussion I received in fifth grade came from the school nurse and female gym teacher. Yes, every healthy woman has menstrual cycles and sometimes mothers do not have all the answers as her daughter's periods may be different from her own. Non of that is mentioned. This book just talks about looking for public hair and pimples and bad body odor. When I asked my daughter, she said the American Girl book was better. Gunn did not reference any books, but her own and she is not a medical or health professional. This was published by Focus in the Family and they seem to be all in to the recent book bans on puberty books for young people so maybe this us their way of not talking about gritty subjects.

[Jackie Reimer · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a mom of 5 young girls, I knew I wanted to be as best prepared as I could to handle the cycle talk with my daughters. From what I’ve heard from many other moms in my generation, this talk was often not handled well by their moms.
I was excited to read this book, and was not disappointed. The book is not only about ideas on how to initiate having that talk with your daughter, but very much talks about building a relationship with your daughter. It’s about building trust, love and hopefully a bond that you can share with your daughter as she hits the growing up years.
I would recommend it to moms with preteen girls who desire to show their daughters how beautifully God has designed us as women, and to those who need a few helps on how to gently usher our girls into being young women.

[Jessica Partlow · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is a great book to read as a mom in conjunction with another book you use in actual discussions with your daughter. I loved the encouragement in this book about speaking blessing and truth over how God created a woman’s body and the changes that will occur. It’s meant to be a tool to create relationship building moments with your daughter while she’s crossing the bridge from girlhood to young womanhood. Great ideas for connection so that the relationship is maintained and nurtured going forward, because conversations and connections are layered, not a one-time experience.

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm glad I read this book as my tween daughter is showing signs of the beginning stages of puberty.
There were so many great ideas and conversation starters mentioned. As someone who was never fully taught about the reasons and causes of puberty when it arrived, I didn't want to be unprepared with my daughter.
I really appreciate Robin Jones Gunn's perspective and Christ-centered encouragement.

[Morgan]

There were some insightful ideas provided about building lasting and trustworthy relationships with your daughter as she matures. It was a worthwhile read for reminding mothers to celebrate the tween years with your daughter and providing ways to do so. I was left wanting a bit more depth and breadth of subject.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must read if you are a girl mom. This was so encouraging and have some great ideas for talking to your daughter about puberty. Trying to change the culture behind periods and women hood. I love all the different ideas. I also loved that at the end she goes into the different cultures and what they do/have done as a ceremony of women hood.

[Vicki Nowak Koglmeier · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fantastic read for Christian moms of teens. Not only did it contain some good advice for bringing your daughter into womanhood with peace, comfort, and grace, but it also included some real-life stories from other moms who have gone before us. If you have a tween (or about to be tween) girl, I highly recommend adding this to your reading list!

[Laura Oliver · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book mostly annoyed me. The main takeaway was that you should figure put what type of party your daughter would enjoy and then throw her that party when she gets her first period and enters womanhood. I just felt like it was hoaky and cheesy.

[M. Boyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great resource for moms/caregivers of girls! I’m very thankful I read this book, and I highly recommend it as a guide to gently prepare your daughter for puberty and the teenage years. I came away with many wonderful ideas to implement with my girls.

[Whitney Alexander · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great basic look at how to approach having “the talk” with your daughter. Offers practical tips and suggestions through a Biblical lens.

[Mary-Jane C. Laitinen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book!

So glad I read this book to strengthen how to help tween girls and their maternal figure navigate this stage of development and maintain their relationship.

[Gracie Schlabach · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall a very positive approach to starting discussions with our daughters as they approach womanhood.

[Kaylea Stanley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely LOVED! Easy read!

[Steph Malstaff · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very insightful for us moms, and made me look at myself and be honest about past experiences I've been holding onto. It's definitely a must read for moms of preteens.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some helpful ideas on how to celebrate a daughter's coming of age and entrance into womanhood. Writing style was a little simplistic and abrupt, but the main content was still worthwhile.

[LA · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a practical resource for parents or guardians of tween girls.

Robin’s narrative is that of one sitting down with another parent for a chat. She provides ample stories, letters, and testimonies from others throughout the years who have listened to her speak at conferences, or have written to her about Robin’s other books.

What I like about this book is that it’s a guide, not a ‘how to’ book. It’s not a guarantee that if you follow every detail or every chapter that your daughter is going to (fill in the blank)… There are some great suggestions that I will likely apply with my tween girls at the appropriate time. And I also like that it’s not from a psychologist or therapist. It’s a book from a mom to other parents from a Christian worldview.

There are scriptures to back up some points, and there are lovely stories of how other cultures celebrate the transition from childhood to womanhood. This was informative and quite surprising.

So if you have a tween girl, or know someone who has one, and you’re struggling with how to talk to your girl about puberty or what it means to be a woman (the one God created her to be), then this book would be helpful to start you on your journey.

I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.