By now, most people are aware of the challenges particular to girls in today’s cutthroat world. A worthy organization based in Downers Grove is doing something to equip parents to raise confident, strong, happy girls. HGNA (which stands for Helping Girls Navigate Adolescence), describes its mission this way: “HGNA understands the challenges and frustrations facing today’s girls—everything from narrowly defined attributes of “beauty” to the groaning pressures of grades, extracurricular activities and boys. Our goal is to provide resources, guidance and support to the girls of our community, helping them withstand the unhealthy pressures of the culture as they grow in strength and maturity.”
If you are a parent of an adolescent girl, check out HGNA’s website to find out about their upcoming events (which are very reasonably priced), such as the upcoming March 12 event, called “Chick Chat,” and a concurrent shorter workshop for parents, “Mom and Dad Chat.” This is just one of many events and workshops they offer, including some for older teens, parents, and even one that includes boys.
Even if you aren’t interested in these events, their website is worth visiting for its great resource page, which has information on relational aggression (bullying) and an excellent booklist for parents on raising girls.