[MOD-CINDY] Mallory, please go ahead with your question for Dr. Deak.

[Mesmereyes] ?

[mallory] I spend a lot of time with my daughter but I'm afraid it's never enough. What are some of the ways I can reinforce my position as mentor/mother in her eyes?

[Deak] By doing things together that are a bit hard or challenging: like building something

[Deak] not just shopping, talking and reading...

[Deak] girls need to see their mothers as interesting and risk taking...

[Deak] this increases the impact you have on them.

[MOD-CINDY] Mesmereyes, please go ahead with your question for Dr. Deak.

[BAMAman] ?

[Mesmereyes] what to do about husbands who insist on treating boys with more respect than the female children?

[Deak] Tell them to stop it... and

[Deak] have them read the chapter in the book that explains why fathers

[LadyBug] ?

[Deak] can have a HUGE impact on girls self esteem: positively or negatively...

[Deak] and that they need to spend time doing things with their daughters.

[MOD-CINDY] Please, Bamaman, go ahead with your question for Dr. Deak.

[BAMAman] I am a single parent and there are no female influences on my daughter. Is there anything I can do to give her the female influence she needs in her life?

[Deak] Yes...

[Deak] an aunt or neighbor or some adult woman...

[Deak] that you know and trust should spend some time with her and form a...

[LadyBug] ?

[Deak] close relationship so that she feels there is a woman

[Deak] that she can go to to ask questions a man would not understand as well.

[MOD-CINDY] Ladybug, please go ahead with your question fro Dr. Deak.

[LadyBug] I have three daughters that like to fight for attention. How can I get them to realize they are equally important and can this behavior affect them in their adult life?

[MOD-APRYL] * * * The open floor for questions is about to close. If you have a question for Dr. Deak, please type a "?" now." * * *

[Deak] I need a bit more info...

[MOD-APRYL] *** Stick around to see if you are the lucky winner of Dr. Deak's new book, Girls Will be Girls. ***

[TheWord] ?

[Deak] what ages?

[LadyBug] They just like to bicker.

[LadyBug] 5, 9 and 12

[Deak] one suggestion is to do things sometimes separately...

[Deak] make it a routine time that they can look forward to...

[Deak] and decrease their special time each time they bicker...

[Deak] you need to also explain to them why this is important and how "bickering" can lead to...

[Deak] a habit of bickering with other people, and it is hard to break and not liked by people outside of the family.

[MOD-APRYL] *** The Word - please go ahead and ask your question. You will be the last question of the night. ***

[MOD-APRYL] *** The floor is now closed for questions. ***

[TheWord] Have you found any difference in your studies between girls raised by single parents as opposed to girls raised by married parents?

[Deak] No. It is all in the quality of the parenting, not in whether there is one or two.

[Deak] Thank you for having me. My email address is in the book. Please write and tell me what you think. Thanks so much.

[MOD-APRYL] * * * A very special thanks to Dr. JoAnn Deak for sharing her insight and expertise with us today. * * *

[Deak] Good bye!

[MOD-APRYL] And congratulations to LadyBug for winning Girls Will be Girls by Dr. JoAnn Deak.

[MOD-CINDY] * * * A very special thanks to author Dr. JoAnn Deak for sharing her insight and expertise with us today. * * *

[MOD-CINDY] * * * A transcript of this chat will be available in the Industry Interviews section of FictionAddiction.NET * * *

[MOD-CINDY] * * * Thanks once again to author JoAnn Deak for being here. You can pick up her novel Girls will be Girls at your favorite bookstore or visit FictionAddiction.NET's emporium:

[MOD-APRYL] http://FictionAddiction.NET/emporium.html

[MOD-CINDY] And, Dr. Deak, it was wonderful meeting you

[MOD-APRYL] Thanks everyone. Have a pleasant evening and may you raise confident and courageous daughters yourself!