Let’s start by taking a few guesses as to why you may be here today, shall we?
You’re a loving, but ever-concerned parent of a young girl between the ages 7-12 fear you’re doing it wrong
You’re not a parent but there is a young girl in your life you want to support and guide in her journey of becoming a woman
You have an idea of how scary the world is right now, especially for young girls and women, and you want to do whatever you can to protect them
You hope to support a young girl in your life one day but are unsure whether you’re enough for that responsibility
If any of this sounds like you, then I welcome you. By taking a moment to simply care and be here, you’re already taking the right steps.
Serenity 4 Girls is a space dedicated to building girls up from the very beginning. The average young female begins her step into adolescence (puberty) between the ages 8 and 13. This means that your daughter, niece, cousin, or friend could be in primary school when they begin to realise how incredible, but terrifying, the journey of being a girl is about to be.
Think, suddenly formed bumps beneath thin cotton shirts, or grizzly hairs sprouting from places only her underwear’s ever touched. Tommy points at Susie during P.E. and hollers: “_Ha-ha! Look at Susie with those bee-stings under her shirt!”_
Young girls have been taught to be ashamed of their bodies changing for many reasons, including feminine standards, stigmatised sexuality, or simply mean and hurtful ignorance like our little Tommy. Can you imagine how frightening it is realising your body is changing right before your eyes? In front of other people’s eyes? People you see at school every…single…day? Only to realise physical changes are just the beginning because the mental and psychological changes are right around the corner—*coughs*—HORMONES!!!
Hormonal imbalance is the other part of adolescence creeping up on our young girls. And I’m not just talking about beginning their periods, feeling everything all at once, and suddenly wanting to do nothing but retreat to their rooms where they blare Taylor Swift. I mean the literal change, growth, and development of their brains.
A Study from Washington University School of Medicine found that the female brain is on average 3.8 years younger than the male brain. At first glance, I side-eyed this research, too. We’ve been taught for a very long time that females mentally mature quicker than males, so what in the cheeseburger is this?!
I was pleasantly surprised to discover, however, that this study isn’t another thing piling onto the ‘How to make females feel less-than’ load, but the opposite. Its final findings discovered that because of our delayed development, unlike boys and men, girls and women maintain a mental youthfulness and sharpness and because of this, our brains are a lot less likely to develop cognitive problems as we age! How amazeballs is that?!
At Serenity 4 Girls, we know and understand how important it is for young girls to be introduced to the realities of developing into women. During an unpredictable time in an unpredictable world, we want to be a part of the solution by facilitating spaces and conversations that remind our girls just how precious and important they are, as well as all the greatness they can achieve. We want our girls to understand how important it is to be empowered and uplifted as females, not chastised for it, even if it means simply reminding them of their youthful, sharp brain.
So, with that in mind, here’s where we come in as the adults.
Each month here at The S4G Blog, no topic is off limits as we explore all things young girls growing into women. Through palatable posts, the aim is for you as the adult to gain a greater understanding of supporting our girls, and even chat with other adults in the same boat. Think…
Learning how to trust and believe my thoughts
Learning how to control my emotions
Learning how to like and love my body
Positive vs. Toxic femininity
How can I teach her confidence if I’m not?
The importance of female community
The importance of feeling my adult feelings in front of my young girl
PUBERTY: Shaving for the first time, Toxic Shock Syndrome, what’s this smell beneath my pits?!
Only my bathing suit underwear can touch me in these places!
These are only a few off the top of my head, but as you can see, there truly is no limit to supporting our young girls. So, are you ready to join our community of female empowerment?
Thank you for taking the time to read my words! I hope they were helpful to you in some way! If you enjoyed this post, feel free to let Danielle know in the comment section. If you would like to request my creative writing services, feel free to contact me directly!
Don't forget you can gift your daughter with our Ultimate Confidence Kit - A 40-paged activity workbook curated for your pre-teen daughter. A workbook that will keep her busy and help her to recognise and embrace who she is. It also includes exclusive access to our up and coming online academy.
