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Karol Maybury read See Jane Win: How 1,000 Girls Became Successful Women by Sylvia Rimm

I’m a social psychologist focused on preparing preteen girls and parents for a girl’s journey to healthy, happy, and strong womanhood. See Jane Win by Sylvia Rimm had an amazing influence on me. When I first read it, I was a mother of a preschooler and a newborn. Professionally, I was a professor of psychology at Whitworth University.

I wondered what was it that made young women emotionally sturdier than others? Why did some have a stronger sense of self? What was it that girls needed in order to succeed in adulthood? Then I discovered this marvelous book. When I found it at the bookstore, it was as if a beam of light shone on its cover!

To create the book, Dr. Rimm and her daughters asked 1,000 successful women about their childhood. What were their activities? What were their relationships like with their mom and dad? How much TV did they watch? The stories fascinated me, but my biggest lesson was that adversity is not a completely bad thing.

Whether it’s facing a bully, dealing with an athletic setback, or enduring a more profound obstacle, how a girl learns to face adversity is vital. She needs a caring adult to coach her with compassion, but she also needs to grow her own sense that “while this stinks, I can learn from this and become stronger.” It also doesn’t hurt if the girl can get away from TV and pop media and spend more time with her friends and people, explore nature, read, and play sports. This approach grows resilience and prepares her for later obstacles.

See Jane Win got me out of the ivory tower and showed me how to “take it to the streets.” It gave me valuable insights on how I could raise my own daughter to be responsible and resilient, contribute to society, and not fear making things right when mistakes come up, as they always do.

To Learn More ...

Go on-line to learn more about author Dr. Sylvia Rimm as well our interviewee, Dr. Karol Maybury. As Dr. Maybury says in her interview, reading provides young people with great opportunities for exploration, growth, and a chance to see how relatable characters have dealth with adversity. You might want to check out Kathleen Odean and her reference works Great Books for Girls and Great Books for Boys.

Let us know if there are other sites you would like to see listed about this book and its topics.

Karol Maybury, social psychologist, holds her copy of See Jane Win: How 1,000 Girls Became Successful Women by Sylvia Rimm