Communication Strategies Wk 3

In GIRL GROUP, instead of saying, “me, too,” we raise our hands and wiggle our fingers. This silent sign doesn’t interrupt the flow of conversation, but lets the speaker know she is not alone. We saw a lot of wiggling fingers in Friday’s session of our Communication Strategies series. “Nervous Chatter and Wild Energy:” everybody’s got it!

We talked about the situations that make us nervous and explored strategies for choosing our words and settling our bodies.

We read the poem “What I Like and Don’t Like,” by Philip Schultz and used it as a jumping off place to brainstorm positive situations and interactions. The poet makes a list of likes: hugs, the company of strangers in an elevator, inviting people anywhere. He ends his list quickly, saying he’d “rather give too few [examples] than too many. The thought/of no one listening anymore-- / I like that least of all.”

Hands raised, fingers wiggled and our discussion turned to our collective need to be heard. Every girl in the group spoke about a personal experience where she did not feel heard. We leaned in and listened.

Helping the girls learning to articulate their thoughts and voice their feelings, preferences and needs is one of our primary goals at GIRL GROUP. Naming the nervous and finding strategies to channel our wild energies can help settle our minds and create a strong sense of self. When we take charge of our words and actions, we take charge of ourselves.

TRY THIS AT HOME: Encourage your child to take a breath before answering a question. She can also buy time by saying, “hmmmm…” or “that’s a good question.” These phrases give the brain a chance to get organized and that will help to calm the wild energy.

#girlgroup #girlsrule #letstalk