10 Secrets for Building a Strong Bond with Your Daughter: A Guide for Fathers

MG: I read the book and then gave it to my nephew. I thought it was useful

United States on Nov 12, 2023

Aaron Conn: Meeker writes with the authority of a clinician and the purpose and experience of a woman. As a father of a young woman growing up quickly I found many of the exhortations to be very powerful and moving. Glad to have read this and will look at Meekers other books as well.

United States on Oct 21, 2023

Steve R: This is a dangerously coercive book, written with an agenda. Unfortunately the reviews you mostly read about it are indeed written by people like-minded to the author, and so they conceal the true nature of this hostile reactionary gumpf: it is a pamphlet on abstinence and Catholicism.

It is dangerous because it starts off with an assertive summary of the author's year of experience, combined with a powerful and attractive hero-worship of the father figure in order to inflate the ego of the reader. This is supposed to be empowering, but in fact it is designed to leave the reader open to the coercive propaganda that comes next.

What follows is fear-mongering of the worse kind, preying on a parent's natural protective instincts and persuading them to build strong barriers around their children's lives.
The author asserts there is a causal relationship between fathers and their daughters sexual activity. Then says that sexual activity is linked to depression, and that to eating disorders, and following the same rational links it to teen pregnancy and STIs.
She portrays all pre-marital sex negatively and all sexual liberation as egregious.

There is no...

United Kingdom on Feb 24, 2017

A. Ferrero: I absolutely advice reading this book, I would even go as far as to say it is necessar, in order to raise a young girl and to protect her from the prevailing oversexualized pop culture facing our daughters every day. The book guides and urges fathers to be active and involved in the lives of their daughters, providing precious insights on teenagers' psychology. It helps a fathers realize how they can positively influence, protect and defend their daughters, making a huge impact on their self-image. The way a father demonstrates practicality and tenacity can provide a great example when hard times inevitably come

France on Aug 22, 2016

N. Font Aguerreberry: Basic book to read and reread on a regular basis to make sure you continue to practice some of the common sense advice it provides. Some of the statistics and facts were very revealing and the stories about daughters making mistakes and fathers receiving them with open arms were very moving. reasserts basic family values and virtues, so it is old and new, old because the basics don't change, new because culture and society introduces new forms of evil (narcissism, consumerism, STD, depression, superficiality) and it's important to keep abreast of what satan is thinking next.

United Kingdom on Apr 20, 2016

Thomas M. Loarie: Meg Meeker MD’s “Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters” is an A-list book for both fathers and mothers…and for daughters. There is something in this book for everyone.

Meeker is a practicing pediatrician and Clincial Assistant Professor at Michigan State University. She has written five other books on the raising of children – “Strong Mother, Strong Sons”, “Your Kids at Risk: How Teen Sex Threatens Our Sons and Daughters”, “Boys Should be Boys: 7 Secrets to Raising Healthy Sons”, and “The Ten Habits of Happy Mothers: Reclaiming Our Passion, Purpose, and Sanity”. She writes from an unabashedly Catholic perspective. Her books draw from her 20+ years of experience as a pediatrician and a counselor to young girls. She has seen the impact of absent parents, promiscuity, drugs and alcohol, and unhealthy friendships on children, their development, and subsequent happiness.

In “Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters”, author Meeker outlines the importance of the father’s role in a daughter’s development and ultimate happiness; and she provides ten key “secrets” to guide fathers in navigating the path they must take for success.

Secret #1 -...

United States on Jan 23, 2016

ravenous reader: This is probably the only parenting book that my husband loved!!! He gives it out like hot cakes to people.

It is a good read with real stats and real stories to help fathers and families raise healthy and happy daughters. If you had a difficult relationship with your father, and you're a mother reading the book it can be a tough one to get through but well worth it because you can see what went wrong and why it had, and has, an effect on you still. Very healing.

Canada on Jun 03, 2014

ITS: As with all self improvement books, you take what you want out of it.

The best thing about this book is the advice to never back down from the responsibilities of being a father to a daughter. Especially when they go through the teenage years, and they seem to want to be left alone. That's when daughters need fathers the most.

All the scare-mongering about sex, gets a bit tiring after being repeated on every single page of the book.
Also, the chapter about teaching your child about God in the strict Judeo-Christian method seems a bit shallow. Being a Christian myself, I could see that teaching spirituality and acceptance is a better way to go on this one.

Some of biggest problems we face in the world are caused by "My God is better than your God".

Canada on Sep 09, 2013

Apollo: Fathers of daughters - I highly recommend this book if you have kids coming out of the age of innocence and into the age of self awareness. If nothing else, this book will make you aware of what your daughters are probably feeling and dealing with now - or will be at some point in their adolescence. I read this book just before coming home to my family after being gone for a while on business. I did my best to internalize what Meg was getting across and apply it to my daughters. What a tremendous result it produced - the real connection with my daughters happened beyond my expectations. I read it a second time after being home a while and it truly refreshed my outlook. I consider myself an actively involved father and already had what I considered a strong relationship with my daughters, and this made it stronger. If nothing else, it verified that my approach was right in some areas, and could be better in others.

For those looking for a simple 'How To' book, I don't think this is it. The biggest benefit I took away is a better understanding of what the perception of a daughter is of their father. Take the information and insight you learn and tailor it, apply it to your...

United States on Sep 30, 2012