There’s no point in trying to deny that girls go through a lot from the ages of 8 to 14. This is an incredibly important time in their lives, and as parents we are often left feeling lost, helpless, and frustrated.
We’re unsure of how to navigate. Of how to get off the eggshells and onto softer ground.
Good For You Girls was founded upon one very simple belief: That preadolescence is something beautiful — A rite of passage that deserves attention, nurture, and love.
When our founder, Kim, went looking for skin care products for her two tween girls over a decade ago, she realized that no companies formulated their lines specifically for young skin. The skin that was already going through enormous internal transformations and that definitely didn’t need disruptive harsh chemicals added into the mix.
With her long-standing background in nutrition, she dove into the ingredients lists of what was available. She researched and analyzed. Ultimately, Kim came to the conclusion that not only were there no gentle, healthy products available for her girls’ skin on the market - there was no kind, nurturing, or loving messaging for them there either.
And yet, this period of time is when the pillars of a young woman are formed. Self-care. Confidence. Self-respect. A strong sense of identity.
But there was nothing. Nothing that said: I respect you. I respect what your body is doing. I respect the changes in your body. And we’re going to do it together.
Remember, this is the first time for self-care - ever. The first face wash. The first moisturizer. The first deodorant. As adult women, we know how important our rituals are. They are part of our identity, and the value we place on them strengthens our own value, too.
So why should it be any different for pre-teen girls?
They need a space that’s safe and understanding and open. Somewhere that allows them to transform, and where mom is there to guide their steps.
Girls today are exposed to so much input. So many opinions about how they should be and behave and look - and more often than not, there’s no room for the in-between.
But that’s not how this transition works at all. There’s a long while where girls find themselves right there in the middle, between girlhood and womanhood. Which is exactly where they should be.
Our girls need more time to be girls in a nurturing atmosphere. We need to give them the tools and the support they need to navigate the transition. At their own pace, in their own way. With mom in front; at her side; having her back.
Being a girl is a superpower. We need to honor that.
Let’s give them a little more time to find their way. And teach them the importance of their worth. It can be as simple as washing her face or moisturizing her skin; gentle rituals of self-care during this beautiful, incredible time.
With love, faith and gratitude.
Kim (head mamma bear)
New Hartford, Connecticut
