We hear a lot about “girl power,” but in many ways our culture disempowers girls. How so? According to Dr. Laura Choate, author of Swimming Upstream: Parenting Girls for Resilience in a Toxic Culture, our culture (through stylized clothes, toys, dance classes, TV, movies, pop stars, etc.) teaches girls that they have to “define their worth and value in their appearance. And not just being thin and beautiful, but also being as hot and sexy as possible.” Annie talks with Dr. Choate about how parents can make deliberate choices to help their daughters grow into strong resilience young women in spite of the messages of the broader culture.

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About Laura Choate (@drlaurachoate)

Dr. Laura Choate holds the Jo Ellen Levy Yates Endowed Professorship in the College of Human Sciences and Education at Louisiana State University. She has 15 years of experience as a counselor educator at LSU and 16 years as a licensed professional counselor. Her books include Adolescent Girls in Distress: A Guide to Mental Health Treatment and Prevention and Swimming Upstream: Parenting Girls for Resilience in a Toxic Culture. Learn more at DrLauraChoate.wordpress.com

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