Books I’ve been chewing on

Lyn L Kang

Our little trip to the Logos Hope bookshop saw us leaving quite a few books richer – two of which were my purchases “Growing strong daughters” and “Moms’ ultimate guide to the tween girl world”. I read the former first, 
thinking that it’d be more relevant. 


I didn’t immediately agree with everything the author said, but I admit that some parts were very liberating. One of the things she mentioned was that there was a huge bias in christian circles towards the SAHM, which piled on the guilt for mums who were not so for one reason or another. Her thesis was that mums had always worked / contributed to the family income up till the Industrial Revolution, where it became less possible to work from home through cottage industries or through farm work. Then a more distinct difference emerged between the mum who went out to a factory to work, and the mum who stayed at home with no real ‘work’ that provided a steady stream / meaningful amounts of income.

Before the industrial revolution, only women from very wealthy homes, or who had husbands with large incomes, could afford to be full time mothers. And for these women, they weren’t quite mothering all the time either, having access to nannies, governesses and the like. Guess her point was that even the Proverbs 31 mother worked, and that there is nothing intrinsically wrong with a mother working. The only thing that has changed through the centuries is that it’s become harder and harder for a woman to work with her children nearby.

The other parts that were good in her book included how we should communicate with our daughters, through reason and debate, partly to show them that they should aspire to any job that a man could aspire to, and to groom their potential without pre-conceived notion of what girls should be good at, etc.

I’ve since started on the latter book, 
and found it surprisingly relevant too, even though my little girls are still some ways away from tween-hood! It’s written in a light-hearted yet deep way, that really speaks straight to a Christian mother’s heart.

I love the various sections in every chapter, especially the section on self-reflection by the mum. And the section that includes a prayer to the Ultimate Parent, our heavenly Father. For a fifty-seven year old (book was published in 2010), she’s extremely plugged into the tween world of Facebook, tweeting etc. Some of the references are quite Americanised, including the intense pressures of middle school, cheer-leading, various sports and acronymns (DUI – driving under the influence [of alcohol]), but most of it still translates well.

I am only about a quarter way through, but am already thinking of finishing it quick so I can lend it to a friend who is mum to a newly minted teenager. Think she’ll find it most helpful! Do get your hands on it if you get a chance. Books depository is having 10% off right now, so that’s another good chance to stock up on books that might not make it to our bookstores (which seem perenially stocked with chick lit, weird wimpy kid books and the like, phooey).

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