“A New Empowering Narrative”
Ok, friends, time for some real talk. Who remembers first learning about puberty? Did a parent or relative have the conversation with you, or did you learn about it, awkwardly, at school from other kids? (Comment below, we LOVE these stories!)
For me, as a tween in the 90’s, puberty was something you learned about at school, either in Science class, or in a class oddly and ridiculously referred to as “sex ed” (where girls were separated from boys). Like, WHAT? Trust me, as a 10/11/12yr old, sex was far from my mind, all I wanted to know was what the heck is happening to my body, now?! It was awkward, and embarrassing, something no one talked about much, and usually in whispers in the halls of the school. Around 12, when girls started getting their periods, we learned from each-other, or maybe one of us, had an older sister, or a mom who broached the subject, but mostly, we would learn about it as it was happening, and definitely not before. I remember a friend was at my house for a sleepover and got her period (before me), and freaked out, and of course then I freaked out. It became this monthly thing that was awkward (that word again!) and God-forbid you have an “accident”, and definitely don’t want a boy to find out, and ugh I have to ask my parent to get pads again, and do you have to be a certain age to use tampons, and can I go swimming with it?? Period underwear were not a thing, so options were limited. I mean, it was all just weird, and unwelcome, and we had to learn by fire. What a disservice to growing humans!
Looking back, I was so clueless, and so young. And now, girls are starting their periods as early as 9. NINE!! My daughter is 7, and still seems so little, I can’t even wrap my mind around girls just 2yrs older than her going through such a big change, many still sporting their little baby cheeks.
But one thing I’m incredibly grateful for is that the narrative is changing, thank goodness. And behind that is a wonderful woman who’s now become a friend, Konika Ray Wong, Founder of Girl Power Science. There is a lot of work yet to be done, but she is making strides in this area and we’re SO thrilled to be able to support her and have a small role in this evolution.
Konika is “an author, science teacher, and a mom on a mission to flip puberty positive. She is passionate about body literacy, destigmatizing periods and puberty, and building communities of empowered learners that confidently celebrate growth.” The mission of Girl Power Science is to “empower girls to navigate growing up with confidence by combining a strong foundation of scientific knowledge with tools for social emotional support. The age of pubertal onset is getting younger and younger as time goes on. Studies show that self-esteem plummets during adolescence especially for girls. We have the power to change this!”
A few months ago, when we first met Konika, we were so excited to bring her out to teach a workshop just for parents on strategies for helping prepare their daughters for these changes in their bodies. The key word here is prepare, not talk about it as it’s happening, or after they get their periods, but before, and that’s what sold us right away. The workshop was such a hit, that most of the moms signed their daughters up for a follow-up workshop where the girls were able to gather in a safe space to learn and talk about the different physical AND EMOTIONAL changes their bodies will soon start to experience. It was FAR from that lame “sex-ed” class I remember, and you can see the confidence growing in these girls. They talked about mood-swings and strategies for taking care of their mental health, different types of bras and period undies, consent and also caring for their physical bodies. It was amazing to witness!
Since then, Konika wrote a book (!!) - what a boss, right?!
Introducing….“One in a Million: A First Book About Periods”:
“Imagine a world where every little girl felt strong and confident in her body and every child with a uterus celebrated their superpowers. This book is the first step in that direction. In One in a Million, children meet a cute uterus character that takes them on a journey that demystifies the process of ovulation and the menstrual cycle.
This empowering first introduction is a guided story for kids ages four and up to read with a grownup. The author has shared this story with her own daughter and thousands of her students and she is thrilled to share the narrative with a broader audience. The kid-friendly characters and simple scientifically accurate text set a positive tone about periods without shame or stigma.”
So.much.YES.
We are SO excited for Konika to be BACK here in the garden in just a couple weeks for her very popular “Go with the Flow” class, that’s just for girls, and all about periods. I would’ve LOVED to have had this type of honest, open, shame-free, science-based education when I was growing up, and we’re THRILLED to help make it available to girls in our community. And as a VERY special treat, each girl will get a signed copy of Konika’s book. Yep, she’s that amazing!
If you’re interested in other upcoming events for kids, check these out.
xx, darina
