Relationships between mothers and teenage daughters are some of the most complex family ties that exist. Daughters are growing and seeking their independence, yet desperately seeking the approval and guidance of their mothers as they navigate this arduous journey. Mothers and daughters need encouragement and help to build a strong relationship that will continue to blossom, as the daughter matures into the role of an adult friend. Aimee Imbeau, a Christian author who has written several courses and publications on parenting, has designed an online, self-paced course called Cultivating the Heart of a Daughter to help meet this need.

Cultivating the Heart of a Daughter is a twenty-lesson course, broken down into four modules that progressively build on each other. It is designed to be watched and worked through by a mother and teenage daughter together. In fact, the video portion of the lessons features Aimee speaking with her daughter Sarah alongside her.

Each lesson contains a theme song, the video portion of the lesson, a downloadable set of pdf worksheets that coincide with the video lesson, and a special devotional thought just for the moms. Video lessons are typically about 20-30 minutes long. Most of the speaking on the video is done by Aimee, but her daughter Sarah also gives input when appropriate. Lesson themes all are built on the foundation that ‘heart work is hard work’ and encourage both the mom and the daughter to be honest and real with self-examination and sharing their thoughts. All different types of ‘hearts’ are studied, from the basics of a loving, compassionate heart all the way to a forgiving and restored heart. There is no topic left untouched by Aimee, who even delves into cases of hurt and abuse, and how those wounds can affect our hearts. She sincerely and lovingly guides the students, both mom and daughter alike, in how to repent, restore, forgive, and thrive.

Video lessons are casually recorded in Aimee and Sarah’s home, giving the listener a more laid-back approach to what might be some very difficult topics for some. Aimee speaks firmly and directly, yet with sincerity and experience in a conversational tone.

As the mother of four daughters, I was interested in working through this course personally to enhance my relationships with my girls and gain insight for some possible fresh approaches to the teachable moments I have with them. I found the course very useful in encouraging my communication with my daughters. Many of the topics were excellent conversation starters. The worksheets reinforced the lesson themes completely. One downside is that my daughters really hoped that Sarah would speak more in the lessons, as they were interested in hearing her thoughts and experiences. There also were some delicate topics surrounding abuse brought up in one of the lessons that, while totally relevant to the subject matter, were a little uncomfortable for my younger daughter. I would recommend that mothers go through the course by themselves first, and then choose which lessons to do together with their daughter, depending on her age and maturity level.

If you are looking for a course to use as a devotional or spiritual growth course for your daughter, or to improve your mother/daughter relationship, I think you would enjoy this course. It is self-paced, and once purchased, is yours with no expiration date. It is currently available through the author’s website, along with several other courses she has designed, for the cost of $67. The website also has sample lessons to try it before you buy it.

-Product review by Erica Beyea, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, November, 2018