A growing girl has a lot going on! Not only is she growing physically and looking older by the minute, but she is also growing socially, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. With growing comes inevitable “growing pains” and I think about their pains a lot which seem to be so much more beyond her simply growing up. I am sure that you think a lot about this too! Here are the top concerns I hear about and experience in my work with girls each and every day: Mental health issues: anxiety, depression, eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia, and orthorexia) Social media addiction The effects of bullying Self-harm (or the mention of it) A deficit of self-confidence and bravery Stress, worry and fear (about everything!) Perfectionism (and the obsession with “getting it right the first time, or not trying at all”) Identity crises and chameleon-like behaviour to fit in with other girls Feeling dismissed, discounted, and misunderstood The thing is – we cannot wish their concerns away. In fact, wishing that girls would gain in confidence and inner strength is dangerous because it keeps us in denial and unable to move forward. Instead, we need to see the truth and we need to…...