Dr. Tim Jordan

Never mind that I’ve read all the parenting books. Or the fact that I was once a preteen girl myself. But girls this age can be impossible to relate to - even if you’re a relatively hip and cool mom like me (at least in my own head).

On those days when my daughter’s defiant sighs make my head explode all over the living room or the nights when my yelling is the least helpful way to deal with her stubbornness, it would be ideal to have an expert on hand to guide us both through the rocky times.

Packed with drama, friend issues and self-doubt, school can be difficult for any kid to navigate through.

Every little girl loves Disney princess movies – they want to be rescued by a handsome prince and live a perfect princess life in a castle surrounded by singing rodents. It’s enough to make a mom cringe every time she turns on the DVR.

But the 1940’s and 50’s patriarchal plots of Walt Disney’s fairy tales are a far cry from the girl power stories collected by the Brothers Grimm in the early 1800’s. In fact, their “heroine journeys” of Rapunzel, Cinderella and Snow White were used to guide teenage girls through the tricky transition from childhood to womanhood, and the lessons of these classic stories resonate in today’s modern world.

In fact, in his new book, Sleeping Beauties, Awakened Women: Guiding the Transformation of Adolescent Girls¸ St. Louis developmental and behavioral pediatrician Dr. Tim Jordan noted Cinderella toiled alone for seven years, becoming independent and self-reliant while Rapunzel traveled in the desert taking care of her children by herself.

With the new school year just a few days away, the lessons Dr. Jordan outlines in Sleeping Beauties, Awakening Women can help girls handle the mean girl drama and stress waiting for them in the hallways, find their inner strength, and guide them in finding the support needed to thrive during the most confusing times of their lives.