Don’t let them divide us
Emotions are running high We are living in sh*t show right now. The white patriarchal foundation is crumbling (yay!), unheard voices are rising to be heard, the injustices of racism, unequal access to health care and job inequities are coming to the forefront. We are...
Girls Rock Boundaries Workshop for Middle Schoolers
Monday, January 28, 2018 (teacher planning day for Beaverton Public Schools) For 6th-8th graders 10:00am-3:30pm, $75 Unity of Beaverton Church (not church affiliated) 12650 SW 5th St, Beaverton, OR 97005 Click here to register This 1 day workshop is for middle school...
Winter 2019 Classes in Portland, OR
Your daughter could really need Girls Rock Empowerment! Kids today have a lot on their plate. There's a feeling of a lot of anxiety amongst kids and parents. Navigating the digital age with challenges with social media and technology is something we never had to deal...
Eighth Grade- The movie- See it with or without your teen?
In th Eighth Grade movie, we meet the main character Kayla during her last week of 8th grade. She is quiet at school, socially awkward, has her own YouTube channel, lives with her Dad and is an only child. With an acne covered face and hunched over shoulders, Kayla...
Finding Compassion When Stuck in Judgement
One of our biggest problems in life is judgment. Toastmasters right now is my most dreaded part of the week! (Toastmasters is a group designed to help you become a better public speaker- a fear of mine). Last week I was assigned the “Grammarian” role in...
Fires and Forgiveness
Mother Earth has had plenty of challenges these past few weeks. With the flooding of Houston, the fires raging in the Northwest, and now an impending hurricane in Florida, there’s been a lot of stress. It’s in these challenging times that we look beyond our political...
What does empowerment mean?
I put my heart and soul into my camps and classes. This is not just a job for me, it's a calling. I'm always looking for "answers.' I read tons of books and take courses, but there's this sense in me that I really haven't found what I'm looking for. The girls get...
6 Tips on Traveling with Teens
My husband was on sabbatical last summer, so to take advantage of his extra time, he acquiesced to my calling I've had for the past couple of years to go to Ireland. My son wanted to go to London as he says "All the good writers and tv shows come from there." (ie JK...
Summer Camp for Teens (8th-10th graders)
https://youtu.be/TZ0fRHB3kIo I finally made a Youtube video (my first one!). If your daughter has not attended my camp before I wanted them to be able to see what I am like. I am a gentle person and not intimidating :). If you live in the Portland Metro Area (Oregon),...
13 Reasons Why- Are your kids watching this show?-please read
I just finished watching the new Netflix series 13 Reasons Why. The show is about a high schooler named Hannah Baker who commits suicide. But before she does she records 13 sides of cassette tapes, 1 for each person that she felt played a part in her decision to...
My inner critic got the best of me!
Recently, I took a beginning class in Musical improv and I loved it. Remember Wayne Brady on Whose Line is it Anyways? I want to be able to make up songs on the spot like him! The instructor created a safe environment for us to explore. First we experimented with our...
Small Great Things- Raising Racism Awareness
I just finished reading Jodi Picoult’s book on racism, Small Great Things. The title comes from a quote attributed to Martin Luther King “If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.” The book is about recognizing the racism we have in...
Trump won! What do we tell our kids?
The Aftermath of the Election Trump may have won the Presidency but we cannot let what he stands for 'win.' Many of us have been badmouthing Trump mercilessly for the last year and now he is our President. How do we show our children that we are going to be okay?...
7 Things Your Middle School Daughter Would Like You To Know
1. Knock and wait for me to say “come in” before entering my room. When she was younger she had no problem with you walking right in. But now she wants her privacy and wants more control. One of the most embarrassing things for a girl is for her dad to walk in...
9 Keys to Understanding Your Middle School Daughter
Your daughter is changing. It’s an adjustment for both you and your daughter. Here’s some characteristics that you may be seeing in your daughter derived from observing many middle schoolers and being a parent to my 13 year old daughter. 1) She will often talk in...
Wanting to be liked
Meeting My Rock Star of girls world In my head I had envisioned us becoming BFF's because we have the same passion, working with the social intricacies of girls. I arrived to The Girl Meets World workshop and I was SO NERVOUS I didn't talk to her. My heart was beating...
When Fear Keeps Your Tween From Sleeping
Many of the girls I work with have trouble falling asleep. One girl said she was fine during the day, but as she is about to go to sleep she runs through the events of the day, thinking about whether what she said were appropriate, nice, or right. She said during the...
What to do when you are mad
We brainstormed what to do when you are angry in one of my Girls Rock Yoga class for middle school girls. We talked about healthy ways and not so healthy ways. I always learn when I am teaching. I started to teach about how some strategies are a distraction from our...
What I wish my parents knew that would help me
“I wish my mom knew that if she didn’t yell so much our family would be happier." “We are not the same people. Things that work for you will not always work for me." “I’m scared of being judged." “I wish they knew to let me handle my school...
How to teach our tweens to manage screens
My daughter wrote this herself, after realizing she was spending too much time on screens during the summer. My daughter has really struggled with balancing her time on screens. We all can relate to this! She realizes that if she goes on to YouTube, she will get...
We see things not as they are but as WE are
8th grade was the worst year of my life. I was 13, my parents were annoying and embarrassing (wearing those Birkenstocks!) No one liked me at school. I didn't have any friends. I was miserable. Wait a second. Is that true? Did I not have any friends? I actually did....
A Place Where Girls Fit In
This summer I took song requests from the girls and did improv yoga with them! I love how the girls were really able to open up and share their stories and feel like they fit in. Look what the girls had to say from my last camp: This class was really fun! The...
The Most Important Camp Your Daughter Could Attend
For Girls Entering 6th, 7th, and 8th Grade Is your daughter feeling overwhelmed and stressed? Like she doesn’t fit in? Is everything becoming a big deal? Do you grimace when you hear her judging her body? I hear ya, I’ve got an almost 12 year old daughter myself. Kids...
Stop Girl Conflict Before It Starts
Girls often get in to conflicts because they are afraid to be direct and ask for what they need. Instead they may complain about a friend to another friend, or keep what's wrong inside - secretly stewing about it without telling their friend directly what is...
The Most Important Person to Love
Did you celebrate Valentine's Day? Valentine's Day gives us an occasion to show love toward a special someone or share sentiments in cards with classmates. In my yoga class with middle schoolers, I shared another interpretation of love. I asked the girls who...