With the world at their fingertips, we often expect our pre-adolescent girls to be brimming with the excitement of what the future has to offer. However, the reality might be quite different. In fact, low levels of self-esteem and confidence disproportionately affect girls, typically aged between 9-13 years, on a global scale. The fact of the matter is, this pivotal time in a young girl’s life is usually one that is far more difficult and complex than we comprehend. So, how can we encourage our young girls to be their very best selves?
Introducing Ramita Anand, a teacher, mother, author of the Amazon Best Seller, Girl Elevated, podcast host, and founder of Elevate.RA Mentoring Services; aimed to empower and work with pre-adolescent girls on crucial life skills.
With a vast background Education; over 15 years of classroom-based teaching experience, Ramita is hosting conversations with thought leaders, educators, creatives and activists on how we can empower girls in her Elevate podcast.
Through Elevate.RA Mentoring Services, Ramita’s mission is to equip young girls with the necessary social, educational, and self-value skills at their most crucial time of development to continuously serve them throughout their lives. In today’s modern (and admittedly harsh) world, many young girls face challenges and obstacles that hinder not only their value of self-worth but also their academic and social progress.
Ramita believes that “girls can thrive by harnessing the key attributes of Confidence, Resilience, Empathy, Emotional Intelligence, and the often under-valued attribute of Kindness.” She tells us that without the right support, it can have a negative impact on their academic performance, mental health, and the general functioning of the family unit.
Let’s take a look at each of these attributes that she has mentioned.
Firstly, we have confidence. We often expect our children to instinctively grasp the balance between being too egotistical and too nervous. To be self-assured but certainly not arrogant. However, the attribute of confidence is not one that should be taken for granted and usually requires some time and teaching to master. What’s more, once they have established their confidence, what happens if it might become knocked? Would your young girl know how to rebuild her confidence or would it hinder her progress in social skills?
Secondly, there is resilience. At this point in their lives, pre-adolescent girls may have experienced or have begun to experience some of the setbacks that are a natural part of life’s journey. However, they may not yet know how to properly deal with them. Understanding how to learn from obstacles and prepare for tough situations in the future is a key tool that is often overlooked. Resilience is an attribute that every child should be taught at this point in their lives.
Next, let’s discuss empathy. Pre-adolescent, young girls can often be naturally driven to look inwards, to focus on their own desires and thoughts. However, the social skill of listening, perspective, and empathy is inherent for future success, whether it be in the workplace, at home, or building relationships.
This brings us to emotional literacy. While they might now understand how to listen to and understand other points of view, do they know how to share their own? In today’s world, it is commonly taught to conceal emotions instead of expressing how we really feel. This in turn, impacts our levels of self-awareness and how we approach situations that we may not agree with or have an opinion about. The lesson of emotional literacy will teach your child how to mindfully and effectively express their thoughts and feelings.
Finally, we have kindness. There’s no denying the importance of young girls knowing and practising the skill of collaborating and interconnecting with those around them, of building connections and being part of a community. We want our children to emit and thus attract kindness.
Ramita believes that children must be championed and encouraged to pursue their dreams, and here at YCB, we couldn’t agree more. As your daughter approaches adolescence, make sure she is equipped for what’s to come (we all know the world can be a tough place sometimes). In order for young girls to thrive, they need to establish a strong foundation for the future.
Enrolling in the Elevate.RA programme can not only help empower and support your daughter during her tricky time of growth, but will also give you a greater sense of confidence in her future. There are many reasons why girls can lose perspective when reaching these early teen years but with confidence, resilience, empathy, emotional literacy, and of course, kindness, there’s no denying that our children will truly grow into the very best version of themselves.
