How Can I Help My Daughter Prepare for Middle School?
If your daughter is a rising 6th or 7th grader, Right in the Middle, a special mother-daughter mini-conference, is just what you need to help her make the most out of her middle school years.
I’m Michelle Icard, founder of the girl’s social leadership program, Athena’s Path, that has been taught in 30 schools and summer camps across the country to help girls navigate the new social world of middle school. I’ve invited Rosie Molinary and Dr. Melisa Holmes, two of my dear friends and nationally recognized experts in their fields, to co-host Right in the Middle, a conference that will engage and educate you and your daughter as you navigate this new world together.
Why Do I Need to Prepare My Daughter for Middle School?
Middle school is a big deal. This is the time in a girl’s life when she begins to form a lasting sense of who she is in the world. Don’t most of us women remember our friendships, social blunders, and heartaches from middle school like it was yesterday? There are a lot of forces at work that can fill a middle school girl with doubt, particularly the media and her peers. But moms have more impact than they think in keeping those at bay. Right in the Middle is a golden opportunity for moms to help their daughters keep a strong sense of identity, self-worth, joy, and community through the middle school years.
How Does This Conference Help?
The greatest tool in any transition is having the language to know how to communicate through it and the familiarity to do so. If we aren’t careful as parents, we can begin to feel foreign to our kids in their middle school years. The gift of Right in the Middle is that mothers and daughters will be given a passport for the journey. They’ll learn what to expect, be given a common language, and become sensitive to what the other is thinking and why.
In one word, moms and daughters will leave the workshop with a stronger CONNECTION. That’s important because experts in the field of adolescent health have identified parent-child connection as a “super-protector” that keeps tweens and teens healthier, safer and more prepared for their future. The sessions for girls and moms, both together and apart, will all provide tools that will improve connectedness and practical advice to help girls face puberty, middle school, and life with greater knowledge and confidence.
Will it be FUN?
YES! In addition to tips and strategies you can walk away with, we’ll have live music performed by Caroline McLeod, an up-and-coming teenage recording artist, giveaways, and fun activities that will build memories for you and your daughter.
What is the Programming?
Girlology: Bodies, Brains, & Boys!
Presented by Dr. Melisa Holmes, co-founder of Girlology
What is it that makes your body suddenly morph, your emotions go into overdrive, and boys start to look a lot cuter? Yep, it’s puberty: that notoriously awkward phase that dominates the hallways of most middle schools. The good news is that it’s not all totally weird. Really. A lot of what’s going on is actually pretty amazing and even exciting.
This Girlology mini-session will load you up with knowledge and tips for handling the late happenings of puberty, and help you see the blueprint for all the construction going on in your brain. Then, we have to talk about boys, right? So, we’ll finish up comparing notes between girls and their moms about the middle school romance scene. In girlology, our goal is to start conversations that matter. We bet you’ll have plenty to talk about!
Beautiful You(th)
Presented by Rosie Molinary, author, activist and professor
No one likes me. I have nothing to offer. Do you think I am pretty? Middle school can bring a tidal wave of self-esteem and body image issues for any child, and girls are particularly sensitive. It is easy for a parent to feel helpless, but studies have found that mothers are the most important body image influencers in their daughters’ lives, and they can have a profoundly positive effect. In Beautiful You(th), moms will be introduced to creative and thoughtful strategies for empowering their daughters while receiving support for individual concerns.
Friends and Frenemies
Presented by Michelle Icard, creator of Athena’s Path, Hero’s Pursuit & Michelle in the Middle
Are we friends, frenemies, or somewhere in between? Middle school friendships can be fun, outrageous, complicated, and messy. As a mom, it can be tricky for you to know when to “step in” and when to “step out” of your daughter’s friendship drama. Michelle offers tips for moms and daughters on how to navigate this new landscape together. The girls will also join Michelle for a special “girls only” breakout where they will devise a personal plan for responding to criticism from friends and frenemies both.
Sounds Awesome! How Do I Sign Up?
Register for the morning session.
Cedarwood Country Club
4100 Pineville-Matthews Road, Charlotte, NC
August 15
9:00am – 12:00
Light breakfast provided
Register for the evening session.
Myers Park Country Club
2415 Roswell Avenue, Charlotte, NC
6:00pm – 9:00pm
August 15
Boxed dinner provided
Questions?
Email Quinn at Quinn@athenaspath.com
We’d love to see you there!
