Girl Group | Brain Power | Wk 2

Our second session of "Meet the Brain" began with an "Acts of Awesomeness" check-in. We distributed rubber bands for each display of compassion, flexibility or bravery logged by the girls during the week. These acts create strong brain connections to healthy habits. Please remind your Girls to keep track of their "Acts of Awesomeness" daily, writing them down in their notebooks and then bringing their notebooks back on Fridays. Acts of Awesomeness are things that are hard however you did them anyway. The time when I wanted to sass back, however I bit my lip instead. The incident when I started to rip up my homework, however I went for a walk instead. Writing down accomplishments and moments of gratitude is a great way to find emotional balance and practice commitment.

Our brains are wired for basic survival. The most developed part of an adolescent brain is the center of emotion and need. Reason and moderation are still maturing and take practice and effort. We talked about things that feel good, but might not be good for us. Some girls mentioned screen time or eating too much sugar.

We talked about the things that keep us safe such as family, friends and stuffed animals and also about how sometimes these people and things can be stressors.

We worked on personally taking responsibility for our choices specific to food and candy cravings. We talked about the foods that are building blocks for a strong and healthy brain: multi-colored fruits and veggies, walnuts, berries and whole grains. How can we fit these into our daily routine?

We practiced self-regulation. One of the girls mentioned how hard it was to stop raising her hand before speaking. In Girl Group, we encourage active listening instead of hand-raising. Giving your full attention to a conversation means you’ll hear what others say and find the silent spots where you can contribute your own thoughts.

We tested our creative thinking skills in a rousing game of Scattergories. This timed word game is a great brain-building family activity. All the girls were writing down funny, complicated and thoughtful answers.

We look forward to seeing you all next Friday!

Fondly, Tanya and Wesley