Untangled - a Must Read for Every Parent of a Tween Girl

Untangled – a Must Read for Every Parent of a Tween Girl

If you click through my links & buy I receive a small commission. I purchased the book myself. Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood by Lisa Damour, Ph.D. was recommended to me by several people, and after hunting for a used copy for a while, I finally bought one new. I cannot recommend Untangled enough and I think it should be required reading for any parent of a tween, or an adult family member who spends time with her.

“Untangled” addresses the 7 steps all girls go through as they leave childhood and enter adulthood through adolescence.

1) Parting with Childhood
2) Joining a New Tribe
3) Harnessing Emotions
4) Contending with Adult Authority
5) Planning for the Future
6) Entering the Romantic World
7) Caring for Herself

The book explains that behavior that may seem erratic or a little crazy (to the parent and the girl at times!) is perfectly normal and a necessary part of growing up. It helps parents understand what’s going on with their child and how to tell if something is truly wrong.

Reading it brought back memories of my own teenage years, and while I’m sure my parents were doing the best they could have, I wish this book had existed for them to read.

Take the time to read this book. Put it on your shelf and re-read it regularly. When your daughter is driving you to the brink and you’re not sure how you’re going to survive it, sit down with the book. I had an incident recently where I reacted out of instinct instead of stopping to think and remembering what I’d read. I apologized to my daughter afterward and we vowed to get through her “stinky teenager” years (her words) together!

Additional titles on my “to read” list:

Still in the “birds and bees” discussion stage? Check out books I recommend.

If you’ve read “Untangled,” what did you think?