Tag Archives: self esteem

Let’s hear it for boosting our own confidence, not just our friends’ confidence

As a kid, I always felt like there was something that needed to be changed about me and about the way I look. I felt like the amount of your worth decreased the larger you were. But, as I grow … Continue reading

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Wonder how much pressure teenage girls face? Just ask them

Too girly. Not girly enough. Too smart, too dumb. Too skinny, too curvy. Too anything. For girls, the mixed messages they get about how they should act, look, and think are confusing and demoralizing. The sad reality is that girls … Continue reading

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Work hard. Be kind. That is all.

“You’re not good enough.” “You don’t try hard enough.” “You don’t fit in.” These are messages that girls hear not only from society, but often from each other and themselves as well. I volunteer with a Guide and Pathfinder unit … Continue reading

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Reflecting on positivity

Our unit is just starting the Key to Me, and being the end of the year I really wanted to find something special for our girls to do. I knew it was recently Mental Health Week in Canada, and there … Continue reading

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Your Role Model – Your Choice

Between YouTube videos, commercials, TV shows, books and movies, we are shown a lot of different ways to act in the world – some good and some bad. It’s okay to enjoy a variety of media, even some of the … Continue reading

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Violence against Women and the Role Guiders Play

During the 16 Days Campaign for the Elimination of Violence against Women, we decided to ask our members some tough but equally important questions about the role Guiders play (or can play) in stopping the violence. Below are some of … Continue reading

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Inspiring Teen Esteem

I have been involved in a workshop geared towards Grades 7 and 8 girls for the past three years that discusses topics directly linked to young girls’ self-esteem called Teen Esteem. The turnout is always impressive and the event can … Continue reading

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The Importance of Self-Respect

Pat runs a Girl Guides of Canada unit in a penitentiary. She shares some thoughts about the unique issues that arise for the girls and young women in her unit. This is an important blog post to share during the … Continue reading

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Canada’s Dirty Secret and What You Can Do about It

It’s something no one wants to think about – violence against girls and women. But it’s all more common than you might think. Half of all women in Canada have experienced at least one incident of physical or sexual violence … Continue reading

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Yes, She’s a SPARK. No, She isn’t Cute.

Update: This post was voted a 2012/2013 GirlGuidesCANblog Big Deal Seal winner in the Cookies category! Bravo blogger Katherine! ————————————————- When I was a Spark and Brownie Guider, I often heard Guiders say with envy “Oh, your unit can sell cookies so … Continue reading

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Women in the Media: Empowering and Enraging

I truly think women in the media can be both empowering and enraging, depending on the situation. There are some television shows/movies/ads that present women in a positive way and some not so. In some media portrayals, they make all … Continue reading

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The Value of Friendship

One of my favourite parts of working with the National Eating Disorder Information Centre (NEDIC) is the creativity it allows. I’ve worked with groups of students and adults of all different ages and explored a variety of influences on body-image, … Continue reading

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Permanently, a Girl Guide

I was a young Guider when, as many young adults of my generation have made the choice to do, I let someone have “craft time” on my body, drawing and colouring in a tattoo (or two). And to be honest, … Continue reading

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Hey ladies, is it really a cynical world?

I think Jerry Maguire said it best with the line, “We live in a cynical world. A cynical world.”  Many people happily flow through their lives looking out for number one; never taking their blinders off to look around and … Continue reading

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Monday Musings about Guiding (on a Wednesday)

Today’s post is by Guider Stephanie, who shares her thoughts about how much time she dedicates to Guiding, and why she does it. This post was originally published on Stephanie’s personal blog Life of a Twingle Gal, Monday, February 13, … Continue reading

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The Challenge? Love Yourself

“Does this dress make me look fat?”  How many times have you uttered this phrase, or one similar? This, along with the knee-jerk reaction you can have to a friend decrying her big behind – which is often commiserated with, … Continue reading

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What It’s Like Being the ‘Sporty Girl’?

Today, we put a message (a tweet) out on Twitter for girls to tell us what it’s like to be the “Smart Girl”, “Bookworm Girl”, or “Activist Girl”. Within the hour, Jessica posted the following article to her own girl … Continue reading

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What Pop Culture is Teaching Our Girls

We loved this post the moment blogger Lisa Naylor first posted it to her own Gentle Angry Blogger site, that we asked for her permission to repost it here. Thank you Lisa! ———————————————————— When my then-seven-year-old daughter came home from … Continue reading

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