The most uplifting and fun part of the work I do with girls and women involves naming and CLAIMING the amazing positive qualities the girls and women posses. Below is a list of some of the qualities that are identified over and over again. What can you do with this idea? Identify the positive qualities of the women and girls you know. Name the qualities and celebrate the goodness - with that girl/woman!

Enjoy!

Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.

-Margaret Mead

When we gather together amazing things happen. It's powerful to be in the room with a group of mothers who are blessing and affirming their daughters. It is incredibly touching when the girls respond by blessing and affirming their mothers. This is just one thing we do in my mother-daughter workshops. 

We learn, we talk, and we take action. Action is often in the form of activity to solidify a concept but just as often the action is a ritual movement of some sort. Mothers often shed a tear or two. Girls feel safe and loved. Participants in general call it "awesome!"  I call it goodness in action. And I keep wanting to do it again and again. That's what brings me back to my work, day after day, week after week, and year after year. It's the girls and the mothers. They care. They love. They validate and strengthen each other. They connect.

When our children are small we, understandably, keep disturbing topics from them. We protect them as much as we can. Many families, either intentionally or unintentionally, extend this way of communicating to all matters around sex and sexuality. They don’t talk about it. At all. Then, when the children get to the age of puberty, these families have a well established pattern of NOT talking. It’s always hard to break a pattern. It can be even more difficult to break open the silence parents have created around sexuality and sex. But there are some simple things you can do to ease in and open up the subject.

• First, get over the idea that you need to shelter your kids from the subject of sex and sexuality. Open your eyes and your ears. Your kids are learning about sex and sexuality constantly.  Look around at the shopping mall. Notice the posters in the windows at Victoria’s Secret. There’s a message. Look at the way the mannequins are dressed. There’s a message. Kids notice. And kids learn, fast.
• Use those every-day occasions to comment (teach) your kids about bodies and provocative clothing. Comment on the mall posters and mannequins, “That outfit would be nice if it covered her more.”
• Keep talking. Comment on how other kids are dressing. Talk about dating and tell your kids that dating is overrated (it is, especially for pre-teens and teens). Tell your daughter that the physical contact that accompanies sexual expression is powerful – and that because of that, it’s best saved for a committed relationship (And this is when you transmit your specific values. You can be very direct. ), and that the TV shows and teen magazines (many of them) get it wrong. The truth is – kids really do want to hear this stuff from their parents.  And, of course, these comments are just the tip of the iceberg. But you have to get started so get started!
• Repeat. Once is not enough. Yes, your kids will roll their eyes at you. Big deal, you’ll get over it.

If you’re still not convinced, read this Time Magazine article that just came out, Parents’ Sex Talk With Kids: Too Little, Too Late.

Sometimes it really does feel fabulous to be female. When girls and women are free to be who they really are, when they are free to develop their true gifts and natural talents, then they can be and feel fabulous! When their natural abilities are celebrated and validated - then they can be and feel fabulous. When they center themselves enough to find this true nature of theirs - that's when women and girls thrive.

At Fabulous to be Female we will explore the ways women think, work, play, and connect. We will encourage women to come together and we will provide opportunities for women and girls to do just that - to come together so they can pass on their knowledge, share their insights, and encourage, help and support each other.  And we will do that primarily by coming together to celebrate and explore what it really means to be female - in today's world. And we plan to have fun while we do this!

Our entry level workshop is for 10 year old girls and their mothers. Mothers and daughters gather together - in groups - to learn from each other and to share the joys and realities of being girls and adult women. Come join in. We'd love to hear from you, meet you, converse with you, and experience a workshop or a group experience with you.

We will use the term mother-daughter and we urge mothers to bring their daughters. Some girls come to events with other adult women; we welcome girls to come with grandmothers, step mothers, aunts, and friends. We are a collective of women and girls. Please join us and help us explore and celebrate.