Parents of Challenging Children support group

Tweens to Teens; Straight Talk about Your Changing Body

Having to buy a bra, wearing deodorant, having to shave and getting a period,  are only a few of the changes that girls go through when they first enter puberty. When girls can talk openly with a woman they trust, these changes will be much less frightening.

On April 11, from 5:30 to 8:00 pm, Family Strengths Network will host “Tweens to Teens,”a workshop for 9-13 year old girls and their moms or other female adults.

This program gives girls a chance to talk about the physical and emotional changes that come with puberty in a safe environment. They are given complete, accurate information so they know what to expect and how to deal with these changes.

This will be the third year FSN offers Tweens to Teens. Meagan Pfeffer, RN, the Los Alamos Public Health Nurse, and Jennifer Bartram, a prevention educator who has been helping families communicate for 15 years, teach the workshop. 

Pfeffer goes over the physical changes that girls experience when they enter puberty, such as beginning a menstrual cycle and hygiene issues that come up. Bartram does a presentation about communication and values.

Even moms who have already begun the discussion about puberty with their daughters will benefit from the workshop because girls have the support of other girls who are going through the same thing.

Sometimes people are squeamish about asking questions. This is a chance to ask any type of question and get a straight-talk answer. No question is too weird to ask!

For example, the girls are usually really interested to find out how to work feminine hygiene products. Pfeffer brings in tampons and maxi pads so that the girls can look at them, take them apart and figure out how they work. It’s important for girls to know how to operate these hygiene products ahead of time and get in the habit of carrying them around, just in case.

“We have good participation,” said Bartram. “It's a safe place for girls to talk about these things and learn from the women.  The open dialogue really helps. ”Tweens to Teens is not talk about sexuality or sex. Participants will get the tools they need to navigate potentially awkward subjects.

Bartram, who works with teens every day, teaches mothers and daughters how to establish better communication during this stage of life. One exercise lets kids and adults see how much they have in common and where they differ in their personal values.

Bartram also shows participants how to begin discussions and negotiate agreements, about things like curfew and homework before they become arguments. “Teens want clear, set boundaries,” said Bartram. “And they want to be able to negotiate different boundaries as they get older.”

“The group support is very important,” said Bartram. “Takes it one step further than the discussion that you would have at home.”

Everyone will receive a valuable reference tool that they can take home. The book The Care and Keeping of You; The Body Book for Girls, explains everything a girl needs to know about her changing self in a fun and appealing way. It covers topics like acne, diet and exercise, braces and breasts.  

The workshop is $35, and financial aid is available (please ask). A pizza dinner will be served.

Register online at www.lafsn.org. Call 662-4515 if you have any questions. FSN is located at 1990 Diamond Drive in the Pueblo Complex in Los Alamos. FSN is a United Way Community Partner.