When I was 12 years old the most important thing in the world was swimming.
That's right, swimming. I didn't have a pool in NY; I learned the intricacies of swimming by visiting my Aunt and Uncle's fancy house on Long Island. I was determined to swim without doggy paddling, without getting gallons of water up my nose. Through practice and dedication, I did and now I can (mostly) stay afloat while in the water. I may not be a terrific swimmer, but I'd like to think that, if the situation presented itself, I could save someone from drowning.
Nowadays, it seems like 12 year olds have a bit more on their minds. Swimming isn't exciting, boys are. Young girls don't shop in the Limited Too much (to be fair, I didn't either - I couldn't afford it), they shop at Victoria's Secret. And, yes, I understand the age. I, too, wanted to be older when I was young. I wanted to be able to understand the whispered jokes my older cousins told at dinner. I wanted to be able to stay out past curfew with my friends as they did in all the novels I read. But I never acted on any of my wishes.
Here's the thing, from teaching and other observations, I've realized that girls aren't girls anymore. They're more Gossip Girl than Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. And maybe that's good for some of them - maybe growing up is what they need. But it makes me sad. As they try to be someone, something they're not, they're missing out on an incredibly important part of their life - childhood. Being a pre-teen. Figuring things out without outside influences.
Because of this, I've decided to start a new project. Last week I created WeTalkDaily a weblog dedicated to the pre-teen/tween set. It'll offer daily advice about life, friends, fashion, family and more. The site is dedicated to being a safe place for girls to get information and learn a little bit more about themselves. All in all, it's a place where girls can be girls.
The site isn't perfect yet, it only has a few articles, but I'm proud of it so far. So feel free to check it out and let me know what you think. If you have a younger sibling who might like it, show them! I'd like to see how far the site can go. I'm sure it won't make a big difference, but if I help one person that'll be enough - right?
If you'd like to contribute an article, let me know - I'd LOVE to get more content.
7 comments:
I didn't shop at LTD2 either, cause yeah, it was WAY too expensive. ;p
I'm pretty sure we were very similar 12-year-olds... swimming was still a pretty big deal to me, too ;)
I'm really excited about this site!! It's coming along really awesomely so far, and I'm really hoping it starts to get some pre-teen fans!
This is such a great idea. Girls really need a forum to just be girls and stop emulating the teens they see on TV. Nice job!
This sounds soooo cool!
Let me help anyway I can! Seriously, I'd be more than happy to write some content, do some marketing, anything.
Great idea L!
The site is great! A very positive idea!
Why does it seem bizarre to me that schools don't mandate swimming classes? When I was in grade school it was mandatory for students to take swimming classes each year until high school. Very interesting.
The site is awesome! What a wonderful idea...if I had a little sister I would definitely point her that way!
What a cool project...I love it!
It looks great, Lauren! And some really great posts up already! Congrats! Can't wait to submit some stories.
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