Curse of the Good Girl: Interview with Rachel Simmons

August 29, 2009 “Aw, mom, it sounds boring, why do I have to hear some ‘expert’ talk about stuff I already know…Are any of MY friends going to be there?” Those were my ten year old daughter’s words back in 2005 when Rachel Simmons author of “Odd Girl Out” spoke to a sold-out crowd  giving us insights on girl culture, relational aggression, and coping tips for navigating … [Read more...]

Diagnosis Endometriosis: What to Know As Preteens Grow

Mar. 31, 2009 Today I was planning on posting part two in my series on the  Focus on Youth Sex::Tech Conference resources featuring health education tools, widgets, sex ed primers and helpful digital data available to give teens and parents a comprehensive snapshot of ‘what’s out there’ in a useful form rather than the drama-rama ‘oopsie’ moments permeating the ‘preggers … [Read more...]

What’s On Tweens’ Minds? Meet Denise Restauri of AllyKatzz

I figure the Obama girls are going to be a huge focal point in the months ahead (gawd help those darlings) and self-ascribed tween “experts” will be crawling out of the media morass elbowing each other for air time and talk show gigs, so why not check in on the conversations transpiring on tween-talk hubs themselves? Since my tween has just turned teen, and … [Read more...]

My Daughter Drank the Kool-Aid: Media Moments in Adolescence

Media's power has an odd way of sneaking up on you at unexpected moments...Remember this one I wrote about preteen body/beauty influence? Well, this weekend, she eagerly tapped into wikipedia and YouTube to get the scoop on how to dye the ends of her long blonde hair with Kool-Aid unsweetened bright red cherry mix in an attempt to 'look like a rocker,' using her own sitting … [Read more...]

New Moon’s Rising For Girls Media: Orb28 For Teens 13-15+ (Part 1)

Orb28 Let's see: Orb: "A sphere of influence, a collective body"...28: numeral referring to the moon's cycle...New Moon: lunar phase when the moon orbits between the Earth and the Sun; Moon: a symbol of womanhood... Okay, I'm beginning to get it now...As a name generation gal, I tend to dissect etymology for sport, but I admittedly glossed over New Moon Girl Media as simply … [Read more...]