Celebration Day for Girls ™
A day long program for 10-12 year old girls.
Fun activities, lively discussion, women’s stories and a gentle celebration of the magical threshold of puberty and menarche.
This workshop works best when the girls know each other, so ideally it’s organised for a group of girls in the same class or friendship group - minimum of 7.
Whenever I begin this workshop, I always ask, ‘Whose mum made them come?’ and almost everyone raises their hand. Their body language says it all; they come in with hunched shoulders and furtive eyes…Why, oh why, did my mum make me come to talk about periods and bodies? Ugh! But by the time lunch time rolls around, they are standing straighter, smiling with a direct gaze and knowing a whole lot more about the menstrual cycle and their changing bodies.
In some cultures, menarche – a girl’s first period – is honoured as a rite of passage. In the West, we play it down and deride it, so girls learn to be out of step with an essential aspect of themselves. Extensive research shows that young girls who approach menarche well prepared—with a positive introduction and emotional support—experience higher self-esteem, fewer negative cycle related symptoms, favourable overall menstrual perception and easier subsequent births. A spin off benefit from attending the program, according to many participants, is an enriched and enlivened mother-daughter relationship.
This program is for 10-12 year old girls, irrespective of whether they have started menstruating or not.
Program Outline
Evening session
During this 2 hour session, (held a week or so prior to the CDG) we step mothers/female carers through the content of the workshop and offer them the chance to express their hopes and wishes for the day. Mothers/female carers will also have an opportunity to explore their own personal experience of puberty and menarche and its relationship to the parenting of their daughter through this time.
One Day Workshop
The morning is spent with girls on their own (typically 10am–1pm) and just before lunch, the mothers/caregivers join in for the remainder of the day, finishing at about 4pm.
We engage the girls in gentle creative activities, stories and information relating to their changing bodies. Our focus is on creating a strong sense of mutual sharing and support around menstruation.
Sessions are held in one of the participants’ homes, or at the children’s school. Group sizes range from seven to fifteen mother/daughter couples.
Investment:
$180 per mother-daughter pair
Visit A Celebration Day™ for more info.
“Thank you Charlotte for a very empowering and positive day on Sunday. Lily has contently chatted about periods and relayed information happily to me and her father / brothers / whoever happens to be around. It’s great to hear and see”
Anna P, Online Retail
“Thanks for flying the flag Charlotte, you are a rare gem!”
Anna F, Mental Health Coach
“Thank you so much for yesterday. It was beautiful, gentle and a privilege to be a part of. Sia loved it and was asking a few questions with a sense of empowerment. It also highlighted for me to treasure these last weeks, months and years of her childhood…”
Claire F, Kinesiologist