A
few personal words to mothers/mentors and to daughters by
Peggy Rubens, M.Ed., founder of Creative Crossings
I decided to design this special program for moms/mentors
and daughters because adolescence is such a difficult time
for, well, for everyone. I thought it would be valuable to
create some special time and space for mothers/mentors and
daughters to interact in a fun, bonding environment.
The author Mary Pipher, who wrote Reviving Ophelia, says,
“The parents’ job is to protect. The daughter’s
job is to explore. Always these different tasks have created
tension in parent-daughter relationships. . .” Pipher
goes on to say that often girls will have an antagonistic
relationship with the adults in their lives during the adolescent
years, but almost always return to the earlier bond and the
family values.
Creative Crossings programs were created with these ideas
in mind. Mothers/mentors and daughter attending the workshops
have been very moved at how powerful and emotional the experience
is. “Tonight reinforced for me what a lovely young woman
my daughter is growing to be,” said one mother. Another
said, “it was informal and did not put anyone on the
spot. I liked interaction in the games, being with other mothers,
and sharing the same concerns.”
As the facilitator of Creative Crossings programs, I respect
the fact that all pairs will bring different strengths and
challenges. At Creative Crossings we value, learn from, and
celebrate all mother/mentor and daughter relationships and
create a safe space for all to share and grow. Although we
do move around in several of the activities, Creative Crossings
does not require athletic ability. We use “Challenge
by Choice”, which allows each person to choose their
own participation level.
I am looking forward to meeting you and your daughter.
Peggy Rubens, M.Ed.
Creative Crossings, founder
“She seems to me so fragile that I want to put out
my hand to save her from a wrong step. . . and at the same
time so strong that she is immortal.”
Doris Lessing, 1962
Being a teenager is hard, fun, and crazy all at once! For
me, my most difficult years in school were 5th, 6th, and 7th
grades. Sometimes I had a great relationship with my mom.
Other times, we yelled a lot and I felt that she didn’t
understand me. And sometimes, she just plain embarrassed me.
(Now we’re good friends!)
Because of my own experiences, I wanted to create a workshop
that would help teenagers get to know their mothers and mentors
(grandma, aunt, step-mom, special adult friend) better. I
wanted to help build a bridge of understanding between generations!
But I also knew that I had to make it very very fun, interesting
and creative. My hope is that you and your mother (or female
adult mentor) will be able to handle issues that may come
up in the teenage years--things like different opinions on
dating, music, babysitting little sisters and brothers etc.
Many of the girls who have attended a Creative Crossings
workshop were surprised at how amazing and great it was. One
girl said, “I learned more about my mom and built the
trust between us and learned what our strengths were.”
Another girl said, “There is nothing I would change.
It never got boring and it was very exciting. It was a lot
of fun!” For many girls, the best part of the day is
leading their moms around blind-folded. For others, the Wish
Cirlce is an amazing chance to honor and celebrate mothers
and daughters.
I invite you to come to a Creative Crossings program and
get to know your mother in a whole new way. In the words of
one girl who came only because her mother made her, “For
those out there who think that this is just another program,
you’re wrong! It’s exciting and very enjoyable
and you may learn things about yourself and your mom that
you never knew before.”
I look forward to meeting you and your mom or your mentor!
Peggy Rubens, M.Ed.
Creative Crossings, founder
info@creative-crossings.com |
