Margaret Cuninggim Women's Center
Volume XX:lO June 1998 Vanderbilt University
Keeping dad in the loop Father-daughter relationship is crucial for adolescent girls enter puberty. They talk with girls \Vith their fathers tend to develop a l1y A111y Ly11clt less and criticize them more. Yet girls positive sense of personal identity as Editor of Daughters 11ews/etter need their fathers more than ever young women. Girls \·vith involved, here's an old adage that goes during adolescence. It is during these supportive fathers tend to grmv up to this \vay: "A girl needs her years that the culture tends to teach a be more autonomous; they have more T mother during adolescence." girl that her appearance is her most successful male-female relationships And it's true; she does. A mother's useful attribute, that her ideas and as adults. loving support makes a critical differ opinions are less interesting than her But staying connected is not easy. ence to girls at this stage of develop jean size. A father or stepfather who Will Gleru10n, the author of Fntlteri11g: ment. But too often dads who are stays close and supportive can help a Strellgtlte11i11g Col/1/ectioll Wi flt Your uncomfortable with their daughters' girl fend off those harmful messages. Cltil dre11 No Matter Where You Are, adolescent development use this con He can affirm his daughter's feminin spent years studying the experiences ventional wisdom as an excuse. "1 ity and her individuality by compli of fathers. He concluded that men never \•vent through this," a dad menting the color of her eyes, don't back m·vay from their adoles decides. "And so I can't help." li stening when she talks, and remind cent daughters because they 'vvant to. ing her that he has high expectations Rather, they don't know ho'"'' to sup The disappearing dad for her algebra grades. port a girl who is buffeted by power Research confirms that many The adolescent girl who is loved ful emotions. When fa thers feel fathers retreat emotionally and physi by her father in a non-seductive and helpless, Glem1on says, they with cally when their daughters enter respectful way has a real advantage. draw. What fathers have to do, he puberty. Aratmd the time a girl buys She knows that she is appreciated by argues, is develop a kind of "emo her first bra and indulges in her first the most important man in her life. tional courage" in these relationships. full-scale adolescent sul k, her father This helps her accept her changing They must learn to say, "Could you tends to withdraw from her. Studies bod y and gives her confidence with tell me more about that? I'll try to lis shmv that fathers generally spend less boys her own age. Studies show that ten," instead of turning away or turn- time with their daughters after they girls who have a close relationship COl/fill lied 011 page 2
Advice for parents of daughte rs wins growing readership For Amy Lynch and Jack Hoos, the editor and publisher of Dnugltters newsletter, an interest in the special concerns of rais ing gi rls came naturally- each has two daughters. Lynch and Hoos met when their older daughters were tod dlers in day-care together. l11e little girls became friends and as they grew up, their parents got together "over the dining table" to talk about their hopes and fears for their daughters' futures. Hoos (A&S '78), who had worked in market research and banking, began to investigate the available resources for par ents of girls. Realizing that many parents were not gettiJ1g the information they needed, he decided to start a newsletter and tapped Lynch, an experienced writer and editor, to imple ment his "fabulous idea." Starting in January 1996 with a small, regional base of read- continued 0 11 page 2 Amy Lynch and Jack Hoos KEEPING DAD IN THE LOOP continued from pnse 1 PARENTING ADVICE ing on the TV. Otherwise, a dad can Our Selves. Peters reminds us that the con ti11ued from pnge 1 spend years gri eving for the relation standard family model is no longer ers, Oaugltters now has about ship he lost with his daughter when one parent working outside the home 10,000 subscribers from all 50 she entered adolescence. (the dad) and one parent working states and several foreign coLUl inside the home (the mom). Today, in tries. It has won praise from the Parenting as a team many cases, both parents hold jobs. Ms. Foundation and the Girl And where is Mom in a ll of this? If Therefore, both parents should work Scouts and was nominated last the father stays close to his daughter, as equally as possible inside the home, year as best new publication in then the mother has a partner in the though that may require unfamiliar the UTNE Reader awards. parenting process. adj ustments on Lynch says the editorial mis If, on the other The 11/ode/ of tl1e i11volved, 1/ur/ur everyone's part. sion of the newsletter is "to \·Vork hand, a dad with The model of the our way into that very delicate illg jntllcr is 11ot just n11 idenl or 11 draws from his involved, nurtur relationship between girls and j{111tnsy but n 1/ ecess ily ns 111ore daughter, he often ing father is not parents and give parents tools to leaves the mother WO I//l'/1 e11 fer de11 11111d i11g ( n11d just an ideal or a improve that relationship." overworked and rewn rdi11g) jolJs outside the hon1e. fantasy, she Published eight times a year, overwhelmed by argues, b ut a real the newsletter foc uses on the key the task of parenting. Studies reveal ity and a necessity as more women ages from eight to eighteen and that conflicts tend to increase between enter demanding (and rewarding) jobs tackles such topics as dating, mothers and daughters soon after a outside the home. social cruelty, boy obsession and girl has her first period. The daugh At Daughters newsletter, we self-esteem. Although recent ter, so closely identified with her receive ca JJs from subscribers around research is included, Lynch says mother in many ways, often feels the country. Nearly one-quarter of her priority is to help parents developmentally compelled to rene them come from dads who want to conmuuticate with their daugh gotiate her relationship with her know more about how to parent their ters. An upcoming a rticle on mother by pushing the limits and by growing daughters. Many of these smoking, for example, v.rill give objecting to her mother's guidance. A fa thers me raising girls alone; others not only facts and figures about mother and a father who understand parent with a partner. In every case, teen smoking, b ut ideas for par the importance of the father-daughter however, these fathe rs are attempting ents to use in talking to girls dynamic and these simultaneous to learn new patterns of relating about the risks involved. mother-daughter negotiations arc bet they're trying to remain connected As a result of Oaugltters' suc ter able to share the work, support and supportive, even \·vhcn that is a cess, Hoos and Lynch have plans each other, and parent as a team. hard and confusing tas k. to launch another newsletter, They're better able to care fo r their Their calls reassure me, and all of called (not surprisingly) So11s. daughter and for themselves as they us, that change is possible. We can For subscription information, guide her toward adulthood. create new, more equitable parenting call 1-800-829-1088 or view sam This is an idea supported by Joan models which free us all - moms ple articles on the web site at: K. Peters in Wlle11 Mothers lt\'ork: Lov and dads and daughters alike - to \V\V \v.daughtersnewsletter.com. illg Our Cllildre11 Wit/tout Sacrificing become more fully ourselves. [llj-)
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Page 2 Women's VU New gatekeepers Nurse practitioners take larger role in providing prhnary care
by Janie Darfrlario emphasis will be placed on helping people stay healthy Assistant Professor of tl1e Pmct ice of Nursing instead of providing cnre only when they nre sick. Vanderbilt has been tmining nurse practitioners for n today's evolving heillth care system, nurse practi more than 25 years, starting with the Primex program, a I tioners hnve nsstnned a major role in the delivery of nondegree family nurse prnctitioner progmm in exis basic patient services. These nurses, who have specinl tence from 1972 to 1976. This emly program was aimed ized training in diagnosing nnd trenting illnesses, at registered nurses who did not have baccalau nre now the gntekeepers to the medical estab rente degrees but wnnted to be nurse practi- lishment for many patients. tioners and provide prim<11-y care to their The first progrmns to tmin nurse practi patients. The certificate program existed tioners begnn just over 30 years ago and nlong with the School of Nursing's fnmily have since blossomed in populmity due to nurse clinician master's program, found chnnges in medicnl pmctice. Nurse practi ed in 1970, the precursor to the current tioners nmv work in all 50 states, indepen fnmily nurse practitioner progmm. dently in their mvn health care settings or in The School of Nursing now has 10 spe- collnbor What is a nurse practitioner? Women's'" -----VU Is published monthly September through June at A nurse prnctitioner is nn ndvanced practice nurse the Margaret Cunlnggirn Women's Center. Vanderbilt Universi ty, Nashville. Tennessee. Campus address: 316 West Side Row. in most cases a registered nurse with a master's degree Moiling address: Box 1513. Station B. Nashville. TN 37235. in nursing. The focus of a nurse practitioner's cnre is dis Phone: (615) 322-4843. Fox: (615) 343-0940. ense prevention nnd enrly detection of ill11ess through E-mail address: womenc tr@c tNox.Vonderb llt.edu. patient education. Nurse practitioners take the time to Linda Manning, direc tor nssess how your lifestyle affects your henlth. They work Judith Telft Heller. assistant director for programs Barbara Clarke. librarian with their p June 1998 Page 5 Announcements State law creates Workshops Programs Council on Women A 10-part workshop on Writing A Noted author, actress and poet Maya Legislation now awaiting the Woman's Life will be offered at the Angelou will speak Tuesday, June 9 governor's signature wiU establish Women's Center in the fall. The p ro at 7 p.m. at the War Memorial Audi a Tetmessee Economic Cotmcil on gram is designed to identify and dis torium as part of the Nashville Women to address the lagging cuss the issues involved in writing YWCA's 100th anniversary celebra economic status of women in the about women's experiences, whether tion. Tickets are $25 and are available state. The biU passed both houses in journals, memoirs, biographies and at Ticketmaster outlets. The present of the legislature unanimously in autobiographies, or in fiction that pre ing sponsor of the event is CABLE, a April after women's organizations sents female characters. The work networking group of professional and from across Tennessee marshalled shops will be led by Karen Essex, a business women. The YWCA's their forces to push the bill out of biographer, journalist and fiction anniversary is being marked with committee and on to the House writer who is currently pursuing an events tluoughout the year, including and Senate for a vote. M.F.A. in creative writing at Goddard a September appearance at Vanderbilt Under terms of the law, the College. The group will meet weekly by Dr. Vivian Pitm, head of women's cow1cil wiU be latmched Sept. 1 on Tuesday nights from 7 to 9 p.m., health research at the National Insti with 21 members and a full-time for 10 weeks beginning Sept. 17. Cost tutes of Health. executive director. The cmmcil is $195. For information, contact will investigate the needs and Karen Essex at 269-8675. Call for papers concerns of women in such areas as employment practices, educa Call for nominations Proposals for individual papers, pan tional opporhmities, child care, els and other presentation formats arc health ca re, and domestic rela The deadline to submit nominations invited for Women and Power, a tions. Tennessee currently ranks for the Mary Jane Werthcin Award is women's studies conference to be 50th among the states in the num June 8. This award is given mmually held at MTSU February 18-20, 1999. ber of women \Vho own their mvn by the Women's Center to honor an Keynote speake rs will be Elaine businesses and 39th in the per individual for contributing to the Brown, the first woman to lead the centage of women above the advancement of women at Vander Black Panther Party, and Ninotchka poverty level. bilt. It is named in honor of Mary Rosca, an acclaimed novelist and for Suggestions for nominees to Jane vVerthan, the first woman mem mer political prisoner in the Philip serve on the council should be ber of the Vanderbilt Board of Trust. pines. Proposals for presentations sent as soon as possible to the Nominations, and any supporting must be sent by October 1. For more League of Women Voters, 1701 materials, should be sent to the Wom information, contact the conference 21st Ave. S., Suite 425, Nashville, en's Center. program committee at 898-5098. TN 37212. @ Printed on recycled paper Vanderbilt University is committed to principles of et1ual opportunity ancl qjjirmatiue action Women's VU Margaret Cuninggim Women's Center 1'/0N-PI{OFIT ()!{(;, U.S. POSTAGE To subscribe, return this form to the Women's Center or Vanderbilt University call us at 615-322-4843 (fax: 615-343-0940). Newsle tters 316 West Side Row Box 1513, Station B PAID (published monthly except July and August) are sent Nashville, TN 37235 free upon request to all students and contributors. NASHVILLE, TN PERMIT NO. 293 Faculty and staff subscriptions are free to a campus RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED address. Off-campus subscriptions are $8 a year, $15 if mailed first class. Please include your check, payable to Vanderbilt University, with your subscription. (PLEASE PR INT) Nmne______First C l ~ ss (SIS)_ Dept./ Addresr ------ ------Med Clr 4-d igit Z IP____ _ 0 Student (specify scltvol & ycnr) ______ 0 Staff 0 Faculty 0 Administrator 0 Contributor 0 O ther