PUZZLE PIECE #2: Working Together

A mom and daughter work on building a "marble roller coaster" in our Build Bridges! program

Welcome to the second installment of our "puzzle piece series" where we are highlighting the different ways that Moms as Mentors® makes a difference in the lives of girls and their moms.

After each main activity, the whole group gathers together to reflect on mom-daughter teamwork and communication

We have very high standards when it comes to what activities we include in any of our programs. A featured activity can't simply be fun and interesting (though they do need to be fun and interesting!).  For starters, every activity must require effective communication and teamwork. In order to complete a challenge, moms and girls often have to brainstorm on ideas or talk through strategies. They both need to contribute and listen to each other. Sometimes this goes better than others, which is why, after each activity, we bring the group of moms and girls together to reflect and debrief about how the activity went. We get the group talking about how well they communicated with their mom/daughter and if there is anything they noticed that could be improved as we move on to the next activity. 

The very act of working together toward a single goal and reflecting on their teamwork and communication  can have profound impacts on both the moms, daughters and their relationship. Here are just a few comments from moms who noticed a difference in how they worked with and related to their daughters during and after the program.

"Sometimes my daughter finds it hard to let me help her and the Moms as Mentors program really allowed a space for us to have where we could both explore ideas and do things together"

“The program brought us closer together and imbued a sense of curiosity and "working together" in our relationship that has carried forward, mostly in doing normal household tasks like cooking, cleaning, preparing for holidays, and running errands but there is lots of love & joy in those shared day-to-day experiences. That is what life is really about.” 

"Through the topics we discussed, my daughter actually related to me on a very respectful level and I was able to see how smart she is! It really opened the dialogue for more serious conversations!" 

Have you attended one of our programs? If so, we invite you to share how the program impacted your communication/teamwork with your daughter/special girl you brought to the program.