By Suzanne and David Harakal
Parenting Your Girl
Unlock your daughter’s potential. Help her get the most out of her Scouting experience.
Parenting Your Girl helps parents of Girl Scouts, Girl Guides, and American Heritage Girls make the most of their daughter’s Scouting opportunities. Scouting was part of our family’s life even after our children left for college. We believe parents are the key to a child succeeding in their Scouting experience. In this book, find advice, experiential learning, and wisdom based on both our successes and failures and those we observed.
Girl Scouts, American Heritage Girls, and Girl Guides provide exceptional youth leadership training. Other resources exist to understand these programs. We focus on how to parent, providing compelling advice that syncs up with the child’s Scouting stage. Through that advice, parents learn to harness myriad opportunities to help their daughter discover her unique gifts and talents. From helping conquer fears to finding new interests or hobbies to developing outdoor skills or even embarking on a career path, parents are crucial to the success of a child’s Scouting life.
Parenting Your Girl helps willing parents develop a better relationship with their daughter, setting up the family for positive and engaging teen years. With this book in hand, parents become facilitators and confidants in their child’s journey. As parents, being prepared is the best first step. A relationship of mutual love and respect will be the reward.
ABOUT THE Authors
Suzanne and David Harakal
Suzanne was a Brownie and Junior leader and troop cookie sale manager, and taught elementary level children for fourteen years. David has held Scouts BSA pack, troop, crew, district, and council leadership roles, and developed unit and district parent training materials. Together, they have created and taught parenting programs outside of Scouting.
David was awarded the BSA Silver Beaver and Vale la Pena awards plus three President’s Volunteer Service Awards.
The Harakals have two grown, married children. Their daughter was a Girl Scout and a BSA Venturing crew president, currently in a Neonatology fellowship. Their son is an Eagle Scout who develops and trains people for cross-cultural ministry.
Somewhere between “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” and “Don’t Tell Me What To Do, Just Send Money,” parents may feel overwhelmed by the plethora of after-school options for their kids. In the event that they and their children find their way into Scouting, or some other values-based youth organization, David Harakal’s book is an essential primer in how to make the most of the opportunities provided by such organizations. David’s emphasis on the role of family in making the Scouting journey a success for the Scout, the family, and the community is exactly what every Scouting parent needs to know BEFORE the journey begins. And this book will continue to be a valuable reference throughout the entire journey. If you and your child are looking at Scouts, or even if you are already involved, this book is a must-read.
– Bill Bryson, Past President, Far East Council, BSA; OA Vigil Honor member; Silver Beaver and Asian-American Spirit of Scouting Award recipient; former Wood Badge and NYLT course director; currently serves on two council boards; Father of two Eagle Scouts.
No matter how well (or not) parenting was modelled for you, or how well you’ve parented up until now, “Parenting Through the Ranks” helps the reader grow in confidence, understanding, and parenting skills as they navigate life and the world of Scouting.
With caring candor, Mr. Harakal mentors, encourages, challenges, and inspires the reader to be the best parent they can be … Sure wish I’d had this helpful resource during my Scout-raising years!
– Ellie B., Camp Fire Girls, Cub Scout, and Scouts BSA leader; Eagle Scout mom