Monday, October 25, 2010

The List: 101 Skills Every Girl Should Master Before Entering the 9th Grade


Update: "The List" was recently featured by Hermene Hartman, Editor of N'Digo Magazine during her daily segment, "Views From the Heart" on Chicago's V103.
Listen


There's no getting around it. Mastery of life, social and communication skills are critically important to the self development of young ladies. The wonderful thing is that girls don't have to master them all at once. We can develop these skill-sets over time.

Here is our list of 101 Skills Every Girl Should Master Before Entering the 9th Grade. Some are tasks, some of skills....all are based upon and neatly woven into Girls Rule! programming for girls ages 7 - 18. Recognizing that all girls do not experience the same adult modeling, instruction or social, life and communication skills modeling, we have designed this list to meet girls where they are, addressing both remedial needs and advanced ones

Before entering the 9th grade, every young lady should be able to:
(Tasks listed are in no particular order and not all inclusive)




  1. Respect adults


  2. Disagree without being disagreeable


  3. Properly groom her nails, hair and body from head to toe


  4. Understand what her clothing and personal style choices tell the world about her


  5. Hem a skirt/pants


  6. Sort and wash clothing


  7. Boil an egg


  8. Navigate the public transportation system


  9. Select the proper undergarment for her outfit


  10. Listen to a friend


  11. Master her emotions


  12. Say no "gracefully"


  13. Read a newspaper


  14. Plan a meeting or gathering


  15. Use a map


  16. Answer the phone properly


  17. Prepare her own breakfast


  18. Say "please" and "thank you"


  19. Handle conflict with poise and grace


  20. Write a check


  21. Set a table for a family or holiday gathering


  22. Respect the role of teachers


  23. Plan a schedule of weekly activities


  24. Set goals


  25. Pack her clothes for a three day trip


  26. Create a budget


  27. Calculate sales tax


  28. Dress for her body type


  29. Dress appropriately for formal, informal and casual events/activities


  30. Properly use eating utensils


  31. Make a dinner reservation


  32. Read a bus or train schedule


  33. Schedule a doctor appointment


  34. Properly measure over the counter medication dosages


  35. Attend church on their own


  36. Complete a job application


  37. Speak confidently and clearly


  38. Register for summer employment


  39. Take a proper telephone message


  40. Write a 3 paragraph letter


  41. Walk away from an argument


  42. Know her clothing measurements


  43. Read, write and understand how to use a table of contents


  44. Properly count, fold and protect her own money


  45. Shop for the best deal


  46. Cook a balanced meal


  47. Recite a prayer


  48. Respect herself in all situations


  49. Iron her own clothes


  50. Clean out a refrigerator


  51. Clean her room


  52. Protect herself from an aggressor


  53. Select ripe fruits and vegetables


  54. Follow written and verbal instructions properly


  55. Speak proper English


  56. Understand how to read and pay a utility bill


  57. Honor her word


  58. Call or hail a cab when alone


  59. Shop for groceries


  60. Change a light bulb


  61. Tell the truth


  62. Properly dust furniture


  63. Baby-sit younger siblings for a day or night


  64. Make decisions that honor her body


  65. Create a document on a computer


  66. Understand formal, information and casual dining etiquette


  67. Order breakfast, lunch or dinner from a menu


  68. Perform CPR


  69. Send a parcel post package


  70. Wrap a gift


  71. Lead a project or committee


  72. Speak publicly


  73. Re-sew a button onto a garment


  74. Put on nylons without running them


  75. Utilize library reference materials


  76. Use a Thesaurus


  77. Be a contributing team member


  78. Resolve conflict non-violently


  79. Deal effectively with various personality types


  80. Trust and believe in herself


  81. Respect others


  82. Walk away from gossip


  83. Deal with jealousy


  84. Own her esteem


  85. Navigate challenging situations


  86. Open a savings account


  87. Send a thank-you note


  88. Be a gracious hostess


  89. Attend school regularly without incident


  90. Give a proper handshake


  91. Be a respectful guest


  92. Calculate the proper tip on a $25 bill


  93. Mail a letter


  94. Properly introduce herself to others


  95. Understand when to use proper English vs Slang


  96. Conduct herself properly at the Theater


  97. Navigate social networking sites safely


  98. Honor her values


  99. Pick friends who enhance her life


  100. Properly use a Dictionary


  101. Calculate wages, taxes and a paycheck





What other skills do you feel are important for young ladies to master before entering the 9th grade?






Ladon Brumfield
Girls Rule!
Inspiring girls to blend...OUT!
http://www.girlz-rule.org/







http://myemail.constantcontact.com/BREAKING-NEWS---We-ve-Made-HerStory-.html?soid=1102329644682&aid=gXRUQsuGP90

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Friday, October 1, 2010

The Etiquette Imperative Parent ToolKit Series on Divorce and Separation: Separating with Respect and Honor

The frequency of divorce in modern society has not made the process any easier for those involved. The circumstances of separating and breaking off a marriage, however, still call for basic consideration, respect, and honesty.


The following etiquette issues frequently arise during a separation.


Telling others.

A separation is not publicly announced. A couple should explain the situation to family and close friends, and word will spread. If the couple reunites, there is no public announcement.


Names and rings.

The wife continues to use her husband's name (if she has taken it), and both spouses usually continue to wear their wedding rings.


Change of address.

If the separation is lengthy, the spouse who moves out of the home should give his or her new address and phone number to anyone who needs to know, such as an employer.


Social invitations.


The couple usually refuses any invitations addressed to "Mr. and Mrs." If they do attend the same social or business functions, they should behave as normally as possible and not draw others into their problems. Most adults make accommodations for separated couples by not inviting them both to the same social events. So don't get upset if mutual friends fail to include you in a party to which your spouse has been invited. Chances are, the friends are not choosing sides but are trying to avoid a difficult situation for everyone. Your time will probably come.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Eti-KID and Parent Tip of the Week - Dining Etiquette Tips

Dear Etiquette Imperative,

Is it still improper to have your elbows on the table when you are eating? We have two children; a 9 year old daughter & a son who is 10, who seem to think I'm crazy. Any other table manner advice you can give me would be well appreciated. We are trying to raise our children to have good table manners, but we are certainly no experts.

Signed,

Allison and Scott


Dear Allison and Scott,

Great question! You may be surprised to know that both you and the children are correct!

For informal dining situations, it's okay to rest an elbow on the table if you're not actually eating. But, if you're eating, then only rest the forearm or wrist on the edge of the table. One doesn't want to be hunched over their food. At formal functions, no elbows on the dining table.

Please consider telling your children that table manners are more than about proper eating; it's about being kind and considerate of others. Although you know that they are smart and nice, other people will judge them on how they present themselves. In the long run, etiquette and social grace mastery is another wonderful tool, that will help them to attain their dreams and ambitions!

Whether in a restaurant or in a home, here are some basic table manners to teach kids stated in ways that will help them to laugh AND learn:

1. Eat with a fork unless the food is meant to be eaten with fingers. Only babies eat with fingers.

2. Sit up and do not hunch over your plate; wrists or forearms can rest on the table, or hands on lap.

3. Don't stuff your mouth full of food, it looks kinda gross, and you could choke.

4. Chew with your mouth closed. This includes no talking with your mouth full.

5. Don't make any rude comments about any food being served. It will hurt someone's feelings.

6. Always say thank you when served something. Shows appreciation.

7. If the meal is not buffet style, then wait until everyone is served before eating. It shows consideration.

8. Eat slowly and don't gobble up the food. Someone took a long time to prepare the food, enjoy it slowly. Slowly means to wait about 5 seconds after swallowing before getting another forkful.

9. When eating rolls, tear off a piece of bread before buttering. Eating a whole piece of bread looks um...tacky.

10. Don't reach over someone's plate for something. Politely ask that the item to be passed to you. Shows consideration.

11. Do not pick anything out of your teeth, it's gross. If it bothers you that bad, excuse yourself and go to the restroom to pick.

12. Always use a napkin to dab your mouth, which should be on your lap when not in use. Remember, dab your mouth only. Do not wipe your face or blow your nose with a napkin, both are gross. Excuse yourself from the table and go the restroom to do those things.

13. When eating at someone's home or a guest of someone at a restaurant, always thank the host and tell them how much you enjoyed it. At least say that you liked the dinner or mention a specific item that was particularly tasty, i.e. the dessert was great. Again, someone took time, energy, and expense to prepare the food, so show your appreciation.

Thank you for your question!

Bon appetite!

Ladon Brumfield
Girls Rule!
The Etiquette Imperative
www.girlz-rule.org

Have an etiquette question? Email us at info@girlz-rule.org

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Let's Get Moving! A Script for You to Use as You Practice Yoga with Your Child

Learn about some of the benefits of yoga as you and your child explore the following fun and simple yoga poses together: Here is what you might say to your child as you both practice yoga together!

■Breathing (Pranayama):
Every yoga class begins with a few quiet minutes to prepare the body and mind for the practice. Breathing helps our minds and bodies relax. Attention to the breath, while tuning out other sights and sounds, improves focus and concentration.


Tell your child: "Let's sit in a comfortable position. Close your eyes. Slowly, breathe in through your nose (pause), and out through your nose (pause). Breathe in through your nose (pause), and out through your nose (pause). Feel your body and mind getting ready for yoga. Slowly open your eyes."


■Downward Facing Dog Pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana):
This pose helps build strong muscles, flexibility of the joints and spine, and confidence in our body's ability to move in unique ways!


Tell your child: "Let's do the dog pose together." (Begin in an all-fours Position, (hands under shoulders, knees under hips. Curl your toes under, straighten your legs and then your arms. Hold this upside down V position for three breaths. Carefully return to all fours). Ask your child, "How does your body feel?"


■Child's Pose:
Poses such as this one massage our internal organs such as our brains, hearts, lungs, and stomachs, bringing fresh oxygen so they can work to their fullest capacity.


Tell your child: "Let's do the child's pose together." (Sit on your heels, lower your forehead to the ground and extend your arms way out in front of you.) Ask your child, "Did you feel your knees pushing on your belly? This pose helps your belly digest food better!"


■Vinyasas:
These are sequences of yoga poses, done without stopping. Vinyasas make our hearts beat faster which strengthens the heart muscle and gives us energy. Yoga pose sequences also help us practice motor planning skills or the skills needed to move different body parts so we can change positions.


Tell your child: "Let's put our downward facing dog and child poses together." (Begin with the dog pose, lower to all fours and move into the child's pose, return to all fours and then the dog pose, back to all fours and the child's pose. Rest here.) Find your child's pulse for him and then ask, "Do you feel your heart beating faster? It's getting stronger!"


■Tree Pose (Vrksasana):
Balancing poses, like the tree, improve our ability to focus, pay attention, and concentrate for longer and longer periods of time.


Tell your child: "Imagine you are a tall tree with roots growing out the bottoms of your feet. Let's do the tree balance together. (Begin in a standing position with palms touching and thumbs resting on your heart). Shift your weight to your left leg and slowly raise your right foot to your ankle, shin, or inner thigh with your knee facing out. Slowly return your foot to the floor and repeat on the other side.) Ask your child, "Was one side easier than the other? Balancing poses take practice and you will get better and better!"


■Partner and Family Poses:
Doing poses together will help your child build relationship skills and will be loads of fun for both of you!


Tell your child: "Let's do the Mommy/Daddy dog and puppy poses. I will be the Mommy/Daddy dog and you be the puppy." (You assume the dog pose and instruct your child to crawl under you. Then have her do the dog pose and turn her head to the side to face yours. Then rub noses together.)


■Make Up Poses Together:
Yoga for kids should be creative. Encourage your child to make up new poses and name them. This is great for practicing language skills. Make the animal sounds. Use natural gestures, too. Hop like a bunny and slither like a snake.

■Relaxation Pose (Shavasana):
This special pose is done at the end of every yoga class, but can be done anytime of the day or night to help us relax.


Tell your child: "Let's do the relaxation pose together." (Lie on your backs,
palms at your sides facing up, legs fall off to the sides). "Close your eyes.
Focus on your breath moving in and out of your nose. Feel your belly rising and
falling." (To help your child relax in this pose, play soft music and dim the
lights. You might try an eye pillow to block out the light and a gentle foot or
hand massage with light cream.) Ask your child, "How do you feel?"


■Namaste:
After the relaxation pose, it is traditional to return to a sitting position, bring your palms together with thumbs touching your heart, and making eye contact and smiling with each other, saying the word, "Namaste," Namaste is a Sanskrit word that means, "the light in you sees the light in me" or more simply, "we are all special." This simple greeting teaches all of us about respect.

Courtesy of PBS Kids!

All About National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month!

Why A National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month?

In the past four decades, obesity rates in the United States have soared among all age groups. This rise in obesity rates has affected our youth in alarming fashion. Childhood obesity has increased more than fourfold among those ages 6 to 11. Over 23 million children and teenagers in the United States ages 2 to 19 are obese or overweight, a statistic that health and medical experts consider an epidemic. And this epidemic puts nearly one third of America’s children at early risk for Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and even stroke – conditions usually associated with adulthood. Even greater disparities exist among young Hispanics and children of color.

But there are opportunities every day to change these trends. And this September, Girls Rule! will take this extraordinary opportunity to work with youth, parents and child care workers to build awareness and take action – nationally, as well as in our respective states, cities, workplaces and most importantly, in our homes.


September 2010 is the first-ever Childhood Obesity Awareness Month

We are calling national attention and action to this epidemic. It is your opportunity to unite with leaders in the White House and Congress, with the Governor of your state and Mayor of your city, Girls Rule! and with all in your community who care about our youth and the health of our nation today and tomorrow. Here are some highlights:

►Congress has officially proclaimed September 2010 as National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. Other national, state, and city leaders are called on to support and observe the month.

►Organizations around the United States will plan and carry out activities that build awareness about and encourage action on childhood obesity.

►And individuals – we hope you – will take steps within your family, on your block, in your community to help reverse the rise of childhood obesity. Every person in the U.S. can be an important part of Childhood Obesity Awareness Month by taking small steps that add up to a big difference: Eating more balanced meals and snacks, engaging in physical activity more regularly, and sharing your personal plan and commitment with family and friends of all ages.

Why This Website?

The Girls Rule! Blog has committed itself to provide information, Web links and tools to promote and celebrate September as National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. Look forward to partnering together with you as we work together create a healthier future for our most important resource: our children.

Check back soon for more updates and please spread the word!

Ladon Brumfield
Executive Director
Girls Rule!
http://www.girlz-rule.org/
312-479-0789

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Why "Father's Day" Doesn't Mean That Much to Me - A Divorced Father's Reawakening

This week; in acknowledgement of Father's Day, Girls Rule! will feature stories written by fathers. Please enjoy this series.

Why "Father’s Day" Doesn’t Mean That Much to Me
By Joel Schwartzberg

Joel Schwartzberg is a nationally-published personal essayist and author of The 40-Year-Old Version, an award-winning collection of essays about fatherhood. He has three children — a son and twin daughters.

Father’s Day — at least as Hallmark and Wikipedia define it — doesn’t mean all that much to me, even though being a dad is one of the most important jobs I have.

For one thing, consider Father’s Day’s most obvious icons: golf-themed ice cream cakes, unmatchable gift ties and greeting cards that emphasize our laziness, our inattentiveness or our proximity to senility. June’s third Sunday is not so much a celebration of dads as it is a snarky toast to the lesser parent.

I personally celebrate Father’s Day every Saturday. My kids — a son, 9, and twin 6-year-old girls — and I call it “Lazy Dadurday”; the courts call it “shared custody.” But in many ways my fatherhood was born years after my three children were. My divorce forced me to be the dad I am, a separate entity from the dad everyone from my ex-wife to Dr. Phil expected me to be.

Last Father’s Day, about a year into my separation, I felt like the parental version of the former planet Pluto, suddenly demoted and now orbiting at the farthest, coldest point. I couldn’t tell if I was fathering my children well. I couldn’t even tell if they were loving me back.

But one night in my apartment, while one of my daughters was snuggling to sleep with her “sniff shirt” (a worn blouse my ex-wife routinely packed for her), her twin sister looked up at me with her big, almost completely round eyes and asked for a “daddy sniff shirt.”

I was about to grab one off a hanger, then opted for the hamper.

She brought the t-shirt to her nose, took in a deep smell and crinkled her nose.

“Too stinky?” I asked.

“No. I like it.”

Seeing her asleep with her daddy sniff shirt pressed to her face was the beginning of my re-education and re-empowerment as a father. It helped me realize that my children have one and only one dad, no matter what happens. That they have two homes: one with their mom and one with their dad. That they don’t just visit me; they live with me.

That day, even in its waning hours, became my first true Father’s Day.

I’ve since developed a fully grown inner dad, one who tells me when it’s OK to let my son stay up late, and when it’s not; when it’s appropriate to be interrupted on the phone by a whining daughter, and when it’s not; when a tense situation calls for stern rules, or just an all-out, no-shoes family wrestling match.

My inner dad tells me I don’t have to entertain my children with amazing spectacles every weekend. We sleep late on Saturday mornings and chomp homemade pancakes while watching kid movies on the DVR. We have scavenger hunts at Kmart, vote on car radio stations and play UNO until we’re all bleary eyed and their small fingers are tired from holding massive fans of cards.

Every so often I dump a soft hill of brown and black dress socks over their heads like leaves, and they delight in matching and folding them. My girls in particular love organizing my vitamins into their little plastic rooms in my pillbox. They approach the task with the focus of FDA scientists.

Under my watch, my kids learned how to pet an old cat, how to toss a Frisbee, and how charcoal needs to form a tight pyramid to keep its heat. Sure, we go to the movies from time to time and do other extravagant things, but we do them at our own pace, at our own discretion and for no other reason than that we all enjoy doing them together.

Once, on the drive back to their mother’s house, my girls played with two animal dolls in the back of the car.

"This one will be the mommy, and this one will be the baby," one said.

"But where is the daddy?" the other asked innocently, as she does all things.

"It’s OK. They can be divorced."

At a red light, I glanced in the mirror over at my son. With his sixth sense, he instinctively looked up from his Goosebumps novel.

I said impulsively and assuredly, "Nothing makes me happier than being your dad.”

As the light turned green, my son smiled and gave the most deeply satisfying and affirming reply I could hope for.

"I know."

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

A Dad's View: Learning to Ride a Bike - Nudge or Let it Happen?

This week; in acknowledgement of Father's Day, Girls Rule! will feature stories written by fathers. Please enjoy this series.


Learning to Ride a Bike - Nudge or Let it Happen?
by Mark Trainor


I remember exactly when I learned to ride a bike. I was six, and I made it from the garage to the backyard without training wheels. A great memory. My wife doesn't know exactly when she learned. I think that difference explains how we felt about helping our daughter learn to ride a bike. I didn't believe it was going to happen without some nudging, she thought it was a matter of just letting it happen.

Balancing on two wheels is a pretty improbable thing for anyone to do, much less a seven-year-old. As a parent, it reminded me of her walking, nighttime potty training and swimming. You struggle to keep the anxiety out of your voice when you say, "You'll get it, honey. Really you will." It's just hard to see the steps that are going to move her from not knowing how to knowing. And not all kids get it at the same time. Our daughter has friends who've been riding on two wheels since PreK. Did they learn early because their parents effectively nudged them toward it or because their parents just let it happen?

I don't know what I imagined would happen if she never learned to ride a bicycle. A circle of children pointing and laughing? An awkward silence when the question inevitably came up in her Harvard admissions interview? Not being able to take a bicycle tour through Napa Valley with a future partner? Not my daughter!

There are a few different ways to teach a kid to ride. You can do the training wheels, bending them up more and more until they're unnecessary. Sounds great in theory, didn't work for us in practice. You can lower the seat so her feet can touch the ground flat and let her coast downhill until she gets her balance right. Depends on how hilly the area you live in is. We had to settle for a flat length of sidewalk. And what we always hung up on was that first launching, that leap of faith that is pushing hard enough on one pedal to achieve the speed needed to balance at the risk of a bruising fall. When I looked at it from her point of view, I wouldn't have been too eager either.

Throughout summer we suggested, as gingerly as possible, playing on the bike. We tried everything, and were still left, as winter settled in, without much progress. My wife and I watched as she sheepishly teetered and made endless adjustments to the position of the leading pedal. As she grew more and more frustrated, I said, "Come on, one big push." My wife said, "Maybe we should take a break." I conceded and turned toward the house. My daughter didn't. With one somewhat-large push, she lurched forward and managed to get her feet on the pedals for two rotations, after which she caught herself before she fell over. Amid whoops and cheers, she tried two more times without as much success. The last time she pushed the bike to the ground and stormed inside.

There weren't many chances to ride over the snowy East Coast winter. It was months before she said she wanted to try her bike. I hauled it out of the garage, got the helmet and returned to the scene of the autumn's frustration. How long would it take, I wondered, to even get back to that point where she'd been willing to take the leap of faith just those couple of times? She climbed on, dithered over how her pedals were positioned, and picked up right where she'd left off. Two full rotations, then she caught herself from falling. I should have cheered or clapped, but I was a little stunned. And then she rode down the block. When her mom came home she showed her again and again (and again and again...)

I'm not ready to embrace the "just let it happen" philosophy entirely. Someone has to say, "Hey, remember that bicycle in the garage?" Someone has to say, "Try again." But I realize now that when it comes to leaps of faith, I ought to have taken my own advice. Beneath her fear and frustration — which were more than evident through those months — was a process far less evident: a simple coming together of coordination, determination and confidence, a private schedule that will not be hurried. You just have to keep offering the opportunity — that's the nudge — and bring your faith that however improbable it seems, it someday will just happen.


Mark Trainer is a writer who lives in Washington, DC with his wife and two children. He is working on a collection of short stories about fatherhood. You can follow him on Twitter at @marktrainer.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Parent ToolKit: When (NOT) Helping Sends the Wrong Message

It's 9:20 in the morning on a Tuesday, and the texts start rolling in.

Madeleine: mom.

Me: (unaware of my cell phone which I have turned to silent while I'm on another call)

Madeleine: MOM. do u know where my safety patrol belt is?

Me: (still not getting the message)

Madeleine: MOM!!! can u find it and bring it to me right now???????? i have a meeting at 10 and i have to have it. PLEASE!!!

I finally got this strange feeling--was it all the "yelling" in capital letters?--and got up and checked my cell phone. And to be totally honest, reading through those highly punctuated texts, I had mixed feelings.

My normal response to this kind of I-forgot-something hysteria is to reply with something reasonable, executed without excessive emotion (most of the time): I'm sorry, but that sounds like a personal problem. If you want to keep track of your safety patrol belt, I'm happy to help you come up with a system when you get home.

I know, no awards for sensitivity, but it covers the you-have-to-be-responsible-for-your-own-stuff bases nicely, don't you think?

Lately, however, I've been second guessing this hold-the-line approach, mostly because I'm watching Madeleine execute this same style of boundary heavy behavior on Carter and her friends when they are struggling to compensate for their own forgetfulness or normal kid mistakes. I'm watching her deliver these perfectly reasonable speeches about what she's willing to be responsible for (or not) and something inside me starts to cringe.

It's not that I don't want her to master personal responsibility--believe me, I do. I'm just wondering if I'd do her a better service by trying to develop another side of her character in situations like this. What if I dove in more and offered a heavier dose of compassion in addition to a helping hand? Which lesson would be more valuable in the long run? Knowing it's your own fault when you mess up and being willing to absorb all the difficulties that go with that? Or being more aware that when you make a mistake, you can always reach out because someone you love will be there to help you?

I know the answer is somewhere in the happy middle, but recently I've been experimenting with a sharp course correction in the other direction: zero judgment, more assistance and lots of compassion. I'm hoping that this might generate a little bit more connection, the next time someone smaller around here (or bigger!) needs some mercy over not being able to get it together.

So.

Yesterday I decided to give finding the belt an honest effort and when it was nowhere to be found twenty minutes later, I texted back.

Me: Sorry, babe. Not seeing it anywhere. We can look together when you get home.

She was fine with that, and when she got home after school, that's exactly what we did.

I think I'll always be the get-it-together, do-not-complain-to-me-because-you-lost-it kind of hard liner with my kids simply because I do not want to be raising kids who are helpless or irresponsible, but maybe it's okay to also send the message that I'm here to pick up the pieces--especially during those times when our kids are already dealing with the disappointment or shame of not doing well in the first place.

What do you think? Do you run your kids lunches to school when they forget them? Do you drop off the missing gym clothes? Or do you hold the line? I'd like to know.

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Parent Toolkit: Affirmations - Teach Your Daughter This Powerful Skill

Positive self-talk, or affirmations, are a powerful skill that can boast and protect self-esteem even in the most trying times. Affirmations don’t have to be elaborate. Even a simple 1 to 5 word affirmation will work.

“Yes, I can do this.” "DREAM!" "My future is full of potential. I will make no small plans." Works wonders when you are faced with a new challenge.

So, how do you convince your daughter that this works and it isn’t ‘stupid’ to talk to yourself?

Easy, model the behavior. This means you will need to develop some affirmations and speak them out loud when you need them. Here are a few affirmations to get you started. Your tween or teen will at some point ask what you are doing. She may even roll their eyes when you explain and suggest she try it sometime. Most, however, will try it the next time you aren’t looking.

Have an affirmation to share with others? Share it in the space below!

Ladon Brumfield
Executive Director
Girls Rule!
http://www.girlz-rule.org/