Entries from March 2009 ↓
March 31st, 2009 — Body Image & Self Esteem, Feminine Heritage, Fit Girl, Hairy Issues (fashion, hair, clothes)
Having given this a great deal of thought I’ve come to a fairly significant position on the issue of girls and body grooming.
The Girl Revolution often looks at controversial hairy issues: should you let your daughter color her hair at 7? When should she shave her legs? Would you take an elementary school student to wax her bikini line?
Generally, someone brings up the fact that it’s unfair for girls to have to put so much effort, time and money into their body hair and hygiene. After all, isn’t it just natural? Some girls grow a mustache and uni-brow and plenty of guys are into that.
Okay. I get it. It’s a valid perspective. Grow out the legs, the pits and embrace the au’natural bush. The natural is beautiful. Obviously, it’s how God intended. The beauty industry is distorting beauty.
Still, if I get to pick how we become equals in this hygienic hairy issue . . . I’d prefer to introduce boys and men to tweezers, chemical hair removal creams, nose hair clippers, hot wax, laser hair removal, and a talented colorist.
Image Source: Kimberly-Edwards.com
March 30th, 2009 — Family Life
It would be a shame to have her First Date be with a pimply 16-year-old boy.
For the record . . . she asked him.
March 26th, 2009 — Fit Girl, Mother-Daughter Emotional Osmosis
Iron Girl, the premier women’s-only event-based brand, is more than just a girl thing. It is a way to get females of all ages and fitness levels outside and hitting the pavement to better themselves physically and mentally.
Launched in 2004 with just two events, the Iron Girl brand has grown to now include 10 events nationwide, varying in distance from 5K to duathlon and triathlon. The event series, sponsored by Aflac, provides a unique experience for women and girls. It includes a competitive platform, mother/daughter category and amenities such as a post-race Breakfast Café, custom finisher medals and performance shirts sized specifically for females, among others.
Q. How was the Iron Girl name chosen?
A. The word “Girl” in the name demonstrates youth, vibrancy and health, which are qualities the Iron Girl brand represents. An “Iron Girl” is someone who balances fun and femininity with strength and dedication to achieving her personal best.
Q. What does Iron Girl’s logo represent?
A. Iron Girl’s logo is named Grace. Grace is in us all. It’s what makes women heroic, charming and limitless. Grace is with us in difficult times and happy times, silly times and sad times. Grace is with us physically, mentally and emotionally. Grace is what makes women special, unique and strong. Grace acts with truth, beauty and spirit. Grace is within you, and you are Grace.
Q. How many females have celebrated an Iron Girl finish?
A. In its inaugural year, 1,000 women became Iron Girl finishers. In 2008 alone, more than 16,000 women crossed an Aflac Iron Girl finish line. Participants range in age from 5 years old to 81 years old, and in fitness level from beginner to professional. The average Iron Girl is 35 years old.
Q. Why is it important for young girls to be active?
A. A 2006 study from the Girl Scout Research Institute found that physically active girls are more satisfied with their weight and appearance than other girls, regardless of their weight. If girls are satisfied with their weight, they will be confident in who they are. Aflac Iron Girl events provide a place where girls can be part of a community without the pressures of the world weighing down on them. Being part of an event provides an opportunity for girls to enjoy fitness, taking the focus off of size and weight, and placing it instead on fitness, athletics and achieving goals. Of course earning a finisher’s medal and sharing your accomplishment with friends is a lot of fun too!
With Aflac Iron Girl events, there is something for everyone to participate in and achieve, whether it is your first 5K or your tenth triathlon, everyone walks away successful.
Q. How does Iron Girl empower girls and how does it build trust between mother and daughter?
A. As a young girl, it can be difficult to find a path into fitness if you aren’t part of a league or team at school. Aflac Iron Girl events give girls of all ages a chance to be part of an event that is for and about them. It can be scary participating in your first event and the mother/daughter category gives moms and daughters the opportunity to experience the event together. It encourages bonding, as mother and daughter are sharing a common goal. With this goal, they train together, keep each other on track, encourage each other, and ultimately share in each other’s accomplishment.
Q. How can I become an Iron Girl or sign my daughter up?
A. Register for one of 10 events nationwide, by visiting www.IronGirl.com.
March 25th, 2009 — Other stuff
You may have gone to Blog Fabulous recently and summarily redirected to BlissTree.com
Two weeks ago I received an email effectively dissolving my contract with b5media, a Canadian media company. I wrote Blog Fabulous for b5media for 2 years.
b5media has undergone a massive restructuring in an attempt to survive in an economy where the market for the written word is hyper-saturated. Quite a few of their bloggers received the same email I did that morning.
I learned a lot at b5media from my fellow veteran bloggers. They were fantastic mentors and I benefited a great deal from the experience. Management at b5media has said they wish me well in my endeavors here at The Girl Revolution. They know this is where my heart and passion is.
That said I was quite happy about the dissolution of my contract with b5media. Unable to pull the cord myself and reduce our family income, I’m relieved and excited about not using up my creative energy and time on Blog Fabulous. Though I did miss posting “I’m Oprah’s Goal Weight!” this morning after getting on the scale.
I’m writing The Girl Revolution, the book.
I need all the time and creative energy and support I can get to complete such a monumental project.
To create space in my life for this endeavor I’ll be posting fewer new posts here on the website. There are over 500 independent posts on The Girl Revolution and that should keep any reader busy while I focus on The Book.
I’ve asked several trusted friends to do some guest posts as well. I’ll still be writing new posts, just not 5 posts per week as I was before.
There’s a REAL Sex Education Bill before Congress we’ll need to examine and discuss that. I’m on it.
The Girl Revolution readers have been loyal and insightful for the last 2 years. I wanted to keep you in the loop. If you want to send any agents and publishers my way – I’d welcome that kind of support too.
Stand by while I tie up some lose ends that are making me feel guilty:
Sticker Sisters is a great place to get empowering stickers for girls. It was started by a girl and is made for girls. Buy some Easter or Birthday gifts there.
Crumpler makes fantastic camera bags and laptop cases. This Crumpler Bag is called the Brazillion Dollar Home for a reason. It is a Journalist and Photographer’s Dream. There are pockets for 2 cell phones, my 17″ MacbookPro fits in the back pocket and has it’s own access. A professional D-SLR camera, several lenses and quite a number of flashes, tri-pod straps make this bag a fantasy. Complete it with ergonomic straps around the shoulders and waist and it might make you want to change professions just to use the bag.
March 24th, 2009 — early puberty, Hairy Issues (fashion, hair, clothes)
I was at a Toastmasters Contest Saturday when I smelled something. I smelled it again. Unmistakable, that’s B.O.
Sniff. Whiff. I made a personal armpit check. Not me. Phew.
To my left I leaned in for a discrete snort of my husband’s pits. Freshly showered. Not him.
I looked at the 20-something chicks in front of me – they seemed perfectly groomed. Doubtful …
My daughter lifted her arm to whisper something in my ear.
Whiff. Sniff. P.U.!
You?
There I sat, wondering how the unmistakable smell of teen spirit was already coming from my 7-year-old little girl. Her only bad smell used to be “kid-who-played-too-much.”
I did some mental math. I was 12 years old and on my way to Junior High when I finally asked my mother for a stick of deodorant. It happened around the same time that I got my first bra and finally got permission to shave my legs, wear lipstick. Around the time I started my period. Most of this became necessary because I had to be naked in front of all the other girls in the locker room after gym.
I thought I had another four or five years before I had to have the, “you’re coming to an age when you start to smell a little funky and need to step up the showering. Oh, and use this natural salt crystal
,” talk.
Then I flashed back on my a few of my friends telling me their similar-aged sons are smelling pretty funky. Just last week I heard Jenny McCarthy say her 6 year old is growing armpit hair and has the beginning of a mustache. Oddly enough, Ali Wentworth agreed with this mysterious new development in her own 6 or 7 year old girl. That was Friday’s Oprah.
This is becoming so universal that doctors are calling it “Normal.” Universal defines normal.
It’s a symptom of the early puberty so common that it’s not referred to as early puberty anymore. It’s just puberty. At 7 years old.
If the doctors are calling this prematurish puberty “normal.” Then what is left for parents to do, except have the same conversation you were intending to have – but several years earlier than you were expecting?
My only advice is this: Don’t make your kid feel like a freak.
Be shocked in the bedroom when you freak out with your equally stunned spouse or stammer about it on the phone with your mystified best friend.
Then, put on your best poker face when you’re explaining things you thought you had four more years to prepare yourself for.
I do have a question for The Girl Revolution readers – if the armpit hair is coming in any second are we encouraging shaving or au’natural?
