How to Host a Healthy Chats Seminar
Your Healthy Chats seminar will be a memorable experience for both you and your daughter. Very few of us moms participated in anything like Healthy Chats when we were girls. One of the most beautiful aspects of the Healthy Chats seminar is that it is a shared experienced in a safe, supportive community of friends, for both the moms and the girls. It is a wonderful “Welcome to the Club” rite of passage.

When and where should I have it?
The ideal age is for girls between 9 and 11 years old. Plan ahead. Work with your group to select three dates/times that everyone can attend — you may need to look ahead a couple of months. Seminars take about 3 hours and are typically held on Friday afternoons/evenings or on weekends, but if your group needs a different day or time, we can most likely accommodate your request with enough notice. A nice comfy family room is the perfect environment. The maximum number of girls depends on your space.

Who should I invite?
You will need a minimum of 10 mother/daughter pairs. Look to your daughter’s classmates, sports teams, Girl Scouts troop and family and neighborhood friends.

Most groups agree on shared potluck style snacks which are set up before the seminar starts and/or during the break halfway through. It is best not to eat during the actual seminar presentation.

Cost?
The fee is $75 per mother/daughter pair. Checks can be made out to Healthy Chats. Requesting pre-payment from moms will assure better attendance and avoid last minute cancellations.

Key Topics covered during the Healthy Chats Seminar:
Puberty: Changes on the Inside, Changes on the Outside Physical Changes The Story of Birth: Where Babies Come From (the uterus) and How They Get Out (the birth canal)
Emotional Changes
• • •
Growing Up: Freedoms, Responsibilities and Fun Menstruation: Why? When? How?
Demonstration of How to Use Feminine Hygiene Products

Additional content:
Right before the break, the girls are encouraged to write down (anonymously) any questions they have about the presentation. All questions are addressed during the second half of the presentation.
During the break, the presenter will also meet privately with the moms to review the Story
of Conception.

The Story of WHAT?!
Our Story of Conception is a basic, accurate, age-appropriate overview of sexual intercourse. We include a strong, clear message that it is an adult behavior for responsible, loving, committed adults who want to start a family and NOT something for children.

All moms must be in agreement for this content to be included as the last story of the seminar. For those who are hesitant, we like to point out that crossing this bridge during a Healthy Chats seminar guarantees a caring, supportive, community setting. That can be very comforting . . . for both the moms and the girls. And, remember, the Story of Conception is not even 10% of the material covered during the seminar. If there are only one or two moms who are not comfortable with this content, they may choose to leave the seminar early, before this story, so that the other families can continue.

The pediatric literature states clearly that children are curious about how babies are made at a very early age. And they certainly have heard the terms “sex” and “sexy.” It’s also true that if we don’t inform our children about reproduction, someone else will . . . and chances are that person will be another child dispensing incomplete and/ or erroneous information on the playground during recess.

CONCLUSION
This Healthy Chats seminar will be a significant milestone for you and your daughter. To honor this special event, the moms will have an opportunity to write a special message to their daughter by completing the sentence “The one thing I want my daughter to know about puberty and growing up is . . .” We read these loving notes of support and encouragement at the end of the seminar and give them to the girls to keep.

We end by giving all girls a cute gift bag with token items such as a journal, a booklet published by Dr. de Freitas called “Puberty in Girls,” some sample pads etc.

How to make the day special!
In addition, here are some other ways you can make this a special day:

Share a toast to the sisterhood of women and the special bond between moms and daughters. Serve sparkling cider or lemonade (or even champagne for the moms, who might be happy to have it!).

Incorporate a butterfly theme with decorations and/or snacks to drive home the transformation metaphor. Other appropriate themes are nests, blooms/blossoming or birds and bees.

Make it a party! Creating strong, healthy, informed and empowered young women is absolutely something to celebrate!