Tag Archives: teen girls

How To Talk To Teenage Girls

Winona Dimeo-EdigerFebruary 13, 2012 //
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My senior year of college I mentored a group of teen girls at an alternative high school outside of Portland, and it was one of the most powerful and moving experiences I’ve ever had. Not only did I meet my best friend in the process (she was my co-mentor), I saw what an amazing impact we can have on the lives of teens if we just give them a safe space to express themselves. The 5 young women in the group didn’t know each other that well, and they didn’t know my friend and me at all, but when we gathered around a table and asked them to tell us about their lives, the results were absolutely magical. I’ve always believed that since I made it out of adolescence relatively unscathed, the least I can do is offer other young women a little guidance and support along the way. Whether you’re an aunt, a big sister, or a family friend of a teenage girl, you can make a huge difference in that young woman’s life, so I encourage you to reach out and try.

Here are a few lessons I’ve learned in my years of mentoring. Every girl’s communication style is unique, and every interaction might not be perfect, but remember: every conversation is valuable, and every effort really does make a difference. Keep reading »

Today’s Lady News: New Mexico Introduces Parental Notification Law For Abortion

Jessica WakemanJanuary 28, 2011 //
  • A state representative in New Mexico has introduced a bill that would require the parents of girls ages 17 or younger to be notified if she has an abortion. [Daily-Times.com]
  • A lesbian from Uganda has gotten a temporary reprieve from being deported by the U.K. Brenda Namigadde said she could be killed if she is sent back to Uganda, where homosexuality is against the law. [BBC]
  • There’s a “Xena: Warrior Princess” conference in L.A., people! [Los Angeles Times]

Keep reading »

Teen Romance, Even Worse Than You Remember

SimchaJanuary 11, 2011 //

Turns out you can blame more than just your crappy prom night on that d-bag who broke your heart back in high school! A University Of Maine study has confirmed that the quality of a woman’s early romances can be seen as an indicator for depression. If a girl is constantly looking for reassurance in the form of a boyfriend, she’s more likely to become depressed, especially if the guys she’s gotten involved with are jerks. The biggest red flags were nagging your boo to tell you they love you all the time, complaining about the same things over and over again, and the “totally deep,” er, excessive discussion of your personal problems. So, basically, anything you liked to do with your BF when you were a teenager was bad for you. Bummer. (Yeah, those cigarettes you sneaked count too, but they’re not part of this study.) Keep reading »

The Kick-Ass Girl Power Message Of Miley Cyrus’ New Single, “Can’t Be Tamed”

Jessica WakemanMay 6, 2010 //


Confession: I’ve never listened to a Miley Cyrus song before in my life, save the one time I watched her strut around a stripper pole while singing “Party In The U.S.A.” at an awards show last year. I always thought she was a cheesy Disney star with crap parents who have bad judgment. But now I am obsessed — no, make that OBSESSED — with Miley’s new single “Can’t Be Tamed.” (And it’s not just because I want a giant nest and peacock feather wings like she’s got in the video.)

The reason I love Miley’s new song is because she’s a young, 17-year-old girl singing, “I can’t be tamed, I can’t be saved, I can’t be blamed, I can’t be tamed, I can’t be changed … They try to change me but they realize they can’t.” And that’s a message teenaged girls of America — hell, the women of America — couldn’t hurt to hear. I wish a song like this had been popular when I was a teen. Keep reading »

Today’s Lady News: Teen Girl Drivers Admit To Speeding More Than Boys

Jessica WakemanFebruary 16, 2010 //
  • Teenage boys have generally had worse driving records, and car insurance rates across the country have reflected as much. But a recent study of teen drivers by the Allstate Foundation found that 27 percent of teen girls admit to driving over 10 miles over the speed limit, compared with only 19 percent of boys. Hmm, I think some of those teen boys are lying! An Allstate spokesman, who apparently agrees with me, added, “Experience still shows female drivers are safer than boys at this age.” [Chicago Tribune]
  • Judge Sylvia Pressler, whose 1973 ruling opened up Little League baseball to girls who wanted to play, passed away Feb. 15 at age 75. Ruling on a 12-year-old New Jersey girl who wanted to play ball, Pressler wrote in her opinion: “The institution of Little League is as American as the hot dog and apple pie. There is no reason why that part of Americana should be withheld from girls.” One year later, the Little League amended its charter to allow girls. [AP]
  • Riot grrrl pioneer Kathleen Hanna, formerly of the bands Le Tigre and Bikini Kill, will be donating her papers to the newly created Riot Grrrl Archive at New York University’s library. [Feministing]

Keep reading »

Twenty-Five Percent Of Teen Girls Have A Zac Efron Poster & An STD

Amelia McDonell-ParryMarch 11, 2008 //

Some good news before we sit down with a bowl of popcorn, a bottle of wine, and that Tivo’d episode of High School Confidential — one in four teens girls have an STD! The data, from 2003-04, probably reflects current rates of infection, which would coincide with recent government funding for sex education being funneled into abstinence-only education. Sounds like “Operation: Stop Our Daughters From Having Sex” is totally failing, with scabby results to show for it! [CNN] Keep reading »