Have you ever been a part of a Parent and Daughter book club?
We are considering piloting a Parent and Daughter Book Club centered on exploring the themes we teach. If you’ve been in a Parent and Daughter Book Club:
-What made it great (if it was great)?
-What made it hard?
-Why did you go?
-Did you (formally or informally) learn anything?
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Please advise us, oh wise ones.
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Comments 2
Lori Day
I’d be happy to help! I wrote Her Next Chapter last year about this very thing! Here’s the website: http://www.motherdaughterbookclubs.com/
And here’s a summary:
“Mother-daughter book clubs are a great way to encourage reading, bonding, and socializing among mothers, daughters, and their friends. But they can do much more than that, suggests educational psychologist and parenting coach Lori Day. They can create a safe and empowering haven where girls can freely discuss and navigate issues surrounding girlhood. In Her Next Chapter, Day draws from experiences in her own club and her expertise as an educator to offer a timely and inspiring take on mother-daughter book clubs. She provides overviews of eight of the biggest challenges facing girls today, such as negative body image, bullying, gender stereotypes, media sexualization, unhealthy relationships, and more, while weaving in carefully chosen book, movie, and media recommendations; thoughtful discussion questions; and group activities and outings that extend and enrich conversations and make clubs fun. Her Next Chapter outlines how mothers can use the magic of books to build girls’ confidence and sense of possibility as leaders, allies, and agents of change. A list of further resources and reflections and observations from Day’s now-adult daughter, Charlotte, round out this indispensable resource for anyone who cares about, teaches, or works with girls.”
Best,
Lori Day
Stephanie Kasen
Hi there-
I started a mother/daughter book club this year for 3rd grade girls and their moms. It has been amazing!! As kids get older, you read less and less with them and reading together has myriad benefits including time spent together and the conversations it sparks between you. Getting together with other moms/daughters in fun, is a chance to connect, and gives the girls an opportunity to share ideas, learn to express themselves, and learn from one another. Biggest challenge- there is a limit to the number of people you can have to make it run smoothly which can lead to hurt feelings/exclusion issues. We share hosting responsibilities (which includes dinner for all) and it can be expensive and you need a lot of room which isn’t always easy when you’re talking about NYC apartments. Also, sharing the talk time/maintaining focus is something the moderator has to be be mindful of and facilitate. I started it b/c I had heard great things about other parent/child book clubs and it has been a huge success thus far! We modeled ourselves after other clubs and we keep the format the same each time. People arrive at 6pm. Dinner from 6-6:45. Discussion from 6:45-7:45pm and then dessert. The moderator for that week runs the show- they have questions already written out and they lead the discussion. Each girl picks out one word she didn’t know and one paragraph she thinks best embodies the theme of the book and reads each aloud. This helps keep everyone involved. All of these things have proved really helpful in making the experience productive, inclusive, and enjoyable for all!