Book Club Announcement: 'Sexism and Sensibility: Raising Empowered, Resilient Girls in a Modern World'

Come read and learn with me, including a live discussion with the author! March 13th 6pmEST

If you are new here, welcome to Dr. Amber_Writes. I am a clinical psychologist who writes weekly about mental health. I aim to bring you evidenced-based information, with a personal touch. Check out this post to read more about why I started writing in the first place. If you want to hear from me again, subscribe any time.

How do we best prepare our young girls to face sexism without making them scared or anxious?

How do we build young girls’ self-esteem while combating the negative effects of social media, beauty and diet culture, and gender stereotyping?

How do we acknowledge and overcome sexism in our own parenting?

What do we say, how do we say it, and when?

If you are a parent, teacher, therapist, coach etc. for girls, you may have asked yourselves these questions.

We may have come a long way in recognizing the impact of sexism on girls and women, but few of us had effective modeling or education on how to raise our girls with more knowledge and tools than we were given.

This is why I have chosen Sexism and Sensibility: Raising Empowered, Resilient Girls in the Modern World to read with my Substack community.

Over the next 5 weeks, I will break the book down into two installments. I will provide brief reviews and a reading guide for each section. I will then invite discussion in the comments.

On March 13th 6-7:30pm EST I will host a zoom meeting for a live discussion. I am very excited to share that author Jo-Ann Finkelstein, Ph.D. has agreed to join our conversation!

Jo-Ann Finkelstein, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist who specializes in the intersection of gender bias and mental health. She has written and presented extensively on topics related to parenting, mental health, and sexism. I am so grateful and excited that she offered to lend her time and expertise!

You can read more from Dr. Finkelstein on her Substack The Feminist Parent.

Pre-Reading Questions to Consider:

1. For parents: How did you feel when you first knew that you would be raising and parenting a girl? What were your expectations? What were your worries?

2. In regard to gender, sexuality, and sexism: can you think of a time when you were not sure how best to respond to your daughter (or a girl that you were supporting in another capacity)? What were the thoughts and feelings that you noticed?

   (A personal example: My 5 year told me she had a “boyfriend” at pre-k!)

3. We all inherit beliefs and biases from our own upbringing and if left unexamined, they show up in our relationships with our children. What are some beliefs you inherited in regard to gender, sexuality, and sexism?

4. What are some goals that you have for yourself on these topics? What would you like to learn? What attitudes and behaviors do you want to cultivate in yourself and bring to your parenting or work?

In summary: If you choose to join me in reading Sexism & Sexuality, look out for two upcoming posts from me with reviews and reading guides. Then, join us on March 13th at 6pm EST for a live discussion. Dr. Jo-Ann Finkelstein will join us!

I have no doubt that S&S will be packed full of information, advice, and helpful real-life stories. But I am also hopeful that we can learn from one another.

Your voices, perspectives, and questions will make for a richer learning experience. I hope you will join!

If you plan to read along, let me know in the comments! If you feel inclined, you can also get the ball rolling by sharing your goals for reading.

Even if you can’t join this time, I would love if you would share this announcement with anyone who might want to read along.

And if you are a subscriber of Dr. Amber_Writes and are looking forward to non-book club related articles, please hang tight! I will make sure to get some other content out this month as well.

Disclosure: Dr. Amber_Writes is a newsletter designed to be informational, entertaining, and engaging. It is not therapy. Following this newsletter does not establish a therapeutic relationship with me. Dr. Amber_Writes, and other written communication by Amber Groomes on Substack, is not a substitute for treatment, diagnosis, or consultation with a licensed mental health professional. I assume no liability for any action taken in reliance on my writing here at Dr. Amber_Writes.