About a year ago we discovered that one of our American friends was (and still is lol) a fully trained and degree qualified health educator and as a result, a group of us decided to organise a class for our girls.
The class was, Puberty from your Toes to your Nose! and is designed for tweens (roughly 8-12 years old) girls.
In Australia, when my friends and I grew up, puberty was a taboo topic. You worked it out yourself and it was never discussed, at home or at school. In light of this, we wanted it to be different for our girls, plus having professional help and a group setting made it a hilariously fun time for the girls.
The classes started with the moms and daughters together and then we separated and all worked through different activities. We could hear the girl’s screams of laughter through the closed doors when the green food dye in bowls of water, eyedroppers, tampons and pads came out. The classes worked through all the physical and emotional changes that occur though out puberty and how to cope with them. The subjects were all handled in a frank and professional manner and were completely age appropriate.
The class finished with the girls making beautiful cards for the moms and the mums presenting the girls with bouquets. The girls all received a goody bag each and a copy of this book: My Body, My Self by Lynda and Area Madaras.
The classes were a huge success; we have decided to do follow up courses on female reproductive health and the big S education later on in the year. Our friend has many years of experience and can run small group courses (min 5 max 15 girls per group) or tailor it for schools. If you or friends are interested, please feel free to email me for contact details.
Wow! This is awesome! Oh how I wish I would have had this available about 11 years ago when my daughter was going through this stage! She'll be 20 in September! :) This would have been so helpful and a lot less "awkward!"
ReplyDeleteKristina in Nebraska