THE MOTHER-DAUGHTER RELATIONSHIP MAKEOVER

Leslie Glass and Lindsey Glass present a comprehensive guide to building a stronger, healthier mother-daughter relationship.

The authors, a mother-daughter duo, use their own past conflicts to inform their advice in this wide-ranging handbook. They first encourage readers to look at aspects of themselves, including their personality type and “mothering style” (complete with tongue-in-cheek descriptions such as “Laissez-faire” or “My way or the highway”). They then move on to common areas of mother-daughter conflict, such as eating habits, as well as other common triggers and techniques for healthier communication. Lastly, the authors guide readers toward emotional healing by suggesting they take separate inventories (of resentment, fear and anger, and harmful behaviors) to see if patterns emerge that could prevent true reconciliation. Although the bulk of each chapter is written collaboratively, Leslie and Lindsey also pen separate sections to specifically elaborate on their experiences from a mother’s or daughter’s point of view, respectively. There are frequent writing prompts to encourage readers to embark on their own private explorations, including questions such as “How would you like your relationship with your mom/daughter to be different?” Some blanket statements aren’t necessarily true for everyone, such as “All moms/daughters are weight obsessed and constantly influenced by different self-interest groups and people, both social media influencers and the people around us.” However, there’s a warm, relatable tone throughout, whether the authors are walking readers through scientific studies that support their advice or exploring their own sometimes-strained relationship in a layered and nuanced way. Overall, they deliver a guide that tackles a complicated and emotionally charged topic with hard-earned wisdom and practical, concrete advice.

A clearheaded examination of common conflicts that offers compassion along with actionable solutions.