I know you worry about your daughter. This can be a scary time to be an adolescent girl.
Even if your daughter is a great kid, she’s surrounded by friends and peers who may not always be the most positive influences. She’s going to meet young men whose dreamy eyes and gleaming smiles conceal less-attractive motives. And she’s probably swimming in popular culture and social media that advocate values and behaviors that trouble you deeply. But I don’t have to tell you any of that, because it’s constantly on your mind.
Maybe we can help. Care to Change has developed a positive learning series for teenage girls. We’re presenting it over nine Wednesday mornings. It’s called Navigating Our Changing World, and that’s exactly what it’s designed to do. We want to give young women between the ages of 13 and 17 the knowledge, insight, and skills to help them make the right choices today and down the road. In other words, we’re sharing the kind of insight you wish someone had given you when you were your daughter’s age.
Why are we doing this? As counselors, we spend a lot of time having tough conversations with teens. We know the problems they’re facing and the decisions they have to make each day. They crave the truth … but they want to hear it from someone who isn’t raising them, grading them, or lecturing them. And we’d rather prepare them for these challenges than help them recover after they’ve made decisions that carry lasting consequences.
Care to Change is bringing in several women who spend much of their time guiding teen girls through life. They’ve earned the respect of the community, and they know how to communicate with teens who think they already know it all (or are too embarrassed to admit otherwise). In addition to myself and Jean Crane, presenters include Cassie Martin of Sheltering Wings, Katie Wolfe from Get Real, Kristie Hardin of Girls Night In, and Jess Holliday, a student leader at Kingsway Christian Church.
Here’s the thing: they’re not going to lecture the participants or sugar-coat things. They’ll engage them in frank discussions in familiar language on everything from finding friends, setting boundaries, overcoming depression and anxiety, and dealing with boys and men. They’ll help the girls discover their purpose, embrace their value, and move into the future with confidence. Simply put, they’ll get to the heart of the matter, having the conversations we wish we could have with our teenagers … and they’ll do it in ways that are aligned with the values and faith that guide our lives (and that form the foundation of Care to Change).
Participation is limited to 12 teens, and if they attend all nine sessions, we’ll reward them with a $15 Starbucks card. Sessions are from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. at Care to Change, on Wednesday from May 31 through July 26. To sign up, call us or text to 317.790.9396.
