Beyond the Birds & Bees: Raising Girls Who Trust Their Bodies

Girls need rites of passage, not just period education. We're talking puberty, periods and how we as mums, teachers, communities and guides can help our girls feel confident, prepared and supported when they have their first menstrual cycle. My guest Kate Andrews is the founder of Wild Creative, offering holistic education and rites of passage programs for young people. With nature as her preferred classroom, Kate runs outdoor programs focused on building children’s social and emotional intelligence, and facilitates rites of passage retreats and camps for pre-teens and teens. Her work has culminated in her beautiful book, Bodywise: A Puberty and Period Guide, a resource created to support girls and families with puberty and period education that goes beyond the purely biological.  In this episode, Kate and I speak about why girls need period and puberty education before their first bleed, not only once visible signs arrive. We talk about how change begins invisibly first, why waiting for children to ask questions is not always enough, and how mothers and caregivers can begin these conversations in small, age-appropriate, imperfect ways. We also explore the power of Bodywise as a companion resource — something girls can dip in and out of, return to over time, and use for reflection as they begin asking, “Who am I becoming?” Together, we explore the value of ritual within rites of passage, and why information alone is not enough. We talk about the concentric circles of support children need: parents, grandparents, aunties, uncles, mentors and community, and why young people need trusted adults beyond their immediate family as they grow. We explore: why puberty education needs to be more than “the birds and bees” and how puberty is a transformation of the whole being, not just the body  why girls need early conversations before visible puberty changes arrive and how to start small when your child withdraws. why books and journals can be powerful conversation starters, and how Bodywise supports girls with period education, reflection and self-knowledge why ritual and rites of passage help young people embody change and  why adolescents need mentors, community and a village beyond the family unit how nature teaches children about cycles, flux, discomfort and transformation and what changes when girls know their bodies are sacred, unique and ever-changing how puberty and perimenopause mirror each other as rites of passage This episode is for anyone wanting their own daughter or the children in their care to have an empowered puberty - by being willing to talk where others won't. Get your copy of Bodywise book and find Kate on Instagram @wildcreative.aus Enrol in our September First Moon Circle Facilitator Training here or Find A First Moon Circle to attend here. Full show notes https://charlottepointeaux.com/period-education-for-girls/