Mothers of Teenage Girls
I, assisted by Caryn Davis, recently led an RC evening for mothers of teenage girls. We set up the evening with the mothers at the center. Also attending were female allies with whom the mothers were connected.
We wanted to open the door to what often feels unbearable—looking at our lives when we were twelve to nineteen years old. The following are just a few of our thoughts:
- Teenage girls can be some of our favorite human beings. At the same time, the effects of sexism and young people’s oppression can sometimes make it hard for us to feel like we like them.
- Our teenage years were an important time in our lives. Our bodies were changing. There were many struggles. None of that is trivial. Yet it is easy to skip over it [not work on it] as clients.
- Today’s teenage girls are being targeted in shocking ways. It can feel hard to look at what they are up against [having to deal with]. I have taught high school for over a decade and have observed how advanced capitalism, consumerism, and the sex industries are shaping the experience of teenage females. For example, young people, especially females, are encouraged to create and share sexualized images of themselves on social media. Girls can be humiliated or threatened with humiliation because cell phones can capture and share images of them.
We can choose to stay close to female teens. We can communicate to them that they are liked and wanted. Doing this also honors ourselves as mothers and allies.
Brooklyn, New York, USA
Reprinted from the RC e-mail discussion list for leaders of women
(Present Time 206, January 2022)
Last modified: 2022-12-25 10:17:04+00