How Girls Will Be Girls Book Report
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Tessa is a beautiful, athletic, 12-year-old girl who loves lacrosse. She’s always been an exceptional player, consistently performing as the top scorer in every game. Although lately her strategy on the field has changed. Now, when she has a chance to score, her parents notice she’s passing to a teammate. When asked about her new game plan, she comments, “I don’t want to upset my friends on the team by always being the one to excel.”
Stephanie is in choir at her middle school, but hates singing. The only reason she’s there is because some girls she thinks are cool joined. For the duration of class, she doesn’t sing a word. Instead, she lip-syncs and pretends she is having fun.
The fear of being your authentic self for these girls is, unfortunately, more the rule than the exception. As soon as girls enter their tween years—ages 8 to 12—they begin to modify their behavior in ways they believe will allow them to fit in with peers. Friendships to tween girls mean everything. They will hide their authentic selves to make and keep them. …show more content…
JoAnn Deak, Ph.D., psychologist and author of How Girls Thrive and Girls Will Be Girls: Raising Confident and Courageous Daughters, refers to this time in a girl’s life as “camouflaging.” It’s exactly what it sounds like. A girl will hide in plain sight by blending in with those around her. And, like with any good camouflage, she renders her true self invisible. As Dr. Deak tells us, camouflaging isn’t all bad. It can provide “an opportunity for self-discovery and growth.” But, the cost is higher than any tween can imagine. Dr. Deak says a girl who buries her authentic self will “hide herself not only from others, but ultimately from herself”. She doesn't realize what she's giving up because, well, she's hiding
Tessa is a beautiful, athletic, 12-year-old girl who loves lacrosse. She’s always been an exceptional player, consistently performing as the top scorer in every game. Although lately her strategy on the field has changed. Now, when she has a chance to score, her parents notice she’s passing to a teammate. When asked about her new game plan, she comments, “I don’t want to upset my friends on the team by always being the one to excel.”
Stephanie is in choir at her middle school, but hates singing. The only reason she’s there is because some girls she thinks are cool joined. For the duration of class, she doesn’t sing a word. Instead, she lip-syncs and pretends she is having fun.
The fear of being your authentic self for these girls is, unfortunately, more the rule than the exception. As soon as girls enter their tween years—ages 8 to 12—they begin to modify their behavior in ways they believe will allow them to fit in with peers. Friendships to tween girls mean everything. They will hide their authentic selves to make and keep them. …show more content…
JoAnn Deak, Ph.D., psychologist and author of How Girls Thrive and Girls Will Be Girls: Raising Confident and Courageous Daughters, refers to this time in a girl’s life as “camouflaging.” It’s exactly what it sounds like. A girl will hide in plain sight by blending in with those around her. And, like with any good camouflage, she renders her true self invisible. As Dr. Deak tells us, camouflaging isn’t all bad. It can provide “an opportunity for self-discovery and growth.” But, the cost is higher than any tween can imagine. Dr. Deak says a girl who buries her authentic self will “hide herself not only from others, but ultimately from herself”. She doesn't realize what she's giving up because, well, she's hiding