AreYouThereGod-Header

Movie Review: Girls Night In!!

1 March 2024

Most definitely watch “Are you there God? It’s me, Margaret.” It was recently released on Netflix and it is an absolute joy.

Judy Blume is the author of the book upon which the movie is based. I grew up reading Judy Blume’s books, I can’t recall how old I was when I read this one, I just know I loved it. It was published in 1970, and is truly timeless.

I watched it with my 13 year old daughter and we had a lovely time together, laughing a lot. Some parts cringy (aka adolescence!), some incredibly tender, very entertaining and very on point for tween and teen girls the world over. The movie finished and my daughter let out a gasp of disappointment “it’s over?”. The characters are brilliant and draw you into their world completely. If you’ve never talked to your girl child (or boy, for that matter) about her developing body, this movie may open up some conversations for you!

The movie helps children to see that they are not the only ones going through what they’re going through, that life can be tough at times, that we experience disappointment and that things can also get better. Even though the movie is set in 1970 New York state, it is still relevant, and it helps us see that our everyday issues are everyone’s everyday issues across the decades. Margaret is a girl going through transition in more ways than one and you get to journey with her through the ups and downs.

So here is your homework for the weekend! Watch this movie!!

 

 

Four Harms of a screen-based childhood: Learning from The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt

18 October 2024 As promised in my post a few weeks ago, I am unpacking some of my learning from reading The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt. In chapter 5 of the book he looks at 4 major harms caused by social media, online gaming and increased screen-based childhood in general. The four harms are social deprivation,…

Read More

Mental Health Awareness Month: Spotlight on Men

11 October 2024 It is Mental Health Awareness Month in October. The Masiviwe project has produced a video highlighting men’s mental health. One of the men interviewed states: “If you’re a man, you don’t cry. The question is; if you’re going through pain, where do you go? In your childhood you used to cry. Today,…

Read More

On Not Being Polite

4 October 2024   I have been telling my children recently when not to be polite. Don’t let people walk all over you – if sports is a metaphor for life… On the sports field, don’t be polite. You don’t say “please” when trying to get the ball away from your opponent. One hockey match, I…

Read More

Awe

27 September 2024 We spent part of the holiday in a cottage in a wood (literally) and got happily snowed in (literally), but only for 24 hours. For a family like ours, born and bred in mostly the sub-tropical parts of South Africa, the snow was a delightful, awe-inspiring experience. We saw the snow forecast…

Read More

Make PLAY your family heritage

20 September 2024 Hey South Africans, happy Michaelmas holiday! During this quick 10 day break, on Tuesday 24 September in South Africa we celebrate Heritage Day (also known as Braai Day!) On this day, we celebrate heritage and culture; who we are, where we come from and what we value. The South African braai is…

Read More

The worst therapy dog in the world

13 September 2024 Ziggy. Is the worst therapy dog in the world.   I don’t know if you have ever encountered one of those therapy dogs (or cats or horses) that assist people emotionally and physically? They are truly amazing. They are used in all sorts of different settings; old age homes, children’s homes, hospitals…

Read More

An Interview with a Sandplay Facilitator: Bongekile Ngcobo

6 September 2024 Bongekile and I have crossed paths through our working and personal lives over the last decade or so. She’s a fellow professional I respect and admire and one thing I love about her is she is always willing to try new things, she’s intentional about self-awareness and personal growth. Bongekile is a…

Read More

Mastery: the struggle towards growth and development

3o August 2024 The Brene Brown quote I used in my blog on Being Deeply Human,  got me thinking about the concept of mastery and how important it is in the development of a child. I thought it might be useful to explore a bit more. First, here’s that quote: “It may seem counterintuitive, but…

Read More

When kids lie and steal: And how adults can respond

23 August 2024 For parents who have worked hard to teach their children right from wrong, when they become aware their child has been lying and/or stealing, it’s a massive shock. Understandably, they move through a range of reactions; anger, shame, disbelief and this most often results in a punishment of the behaviour. No doubt…

Read More

Being Deeply Human

16 August 2024 Hello! I feel like I need to introduce myself again, it’s been a while.   I’ve missed being here in the blog regularly, I really have. I have written many, many (fabulous) blogs in my head and not written a single one down. Sometimes the flow is just there, because I am…

Read More