Junior High is hard!! I can’t imagine it was easy for any of us. I felt so awkward as my body was changing. I had a bully who could pick me out of a crowd and run into me with her shoulder as hard as she could- just because. People had no respect whatsoever- someone stole my $25 I had saved from babysitting so I could pay my basketball fees. I got a perm the day before picture day-I HATED it as it did not look like the image I had in my mind-I tried washing it out (yeah right). I remember crying about it and my parents telling me that I look so cute. I yelled back at them, “I don’t want to be cute (cute is for little girls) I want to be beautiful!!” GOSH! Look at those bangs.
Well, now I have a 13 year old girl who comes home every day from school and tells me how awful the day was. She feels awkward in her body. People are mean and disrespectful. Teachers can’t handle the kids who have no respect. BOYS, BOYS, BOYS! The writing on the bathroom stalls. The bully’s. The bossy girls. Friend drama- everybody has it. SO MUCH NEGATIVITY!! And did I mention BOYS? I tried to open her eyes to the fact that ALL the students at her school feel these things in one way or another. I told her that often the best remedy for feeling so crappy is to serve and try to uplift others.
My daughter loves to make quote pictures on pic collage, and I have gotten into hand lettering- which has made her interested as well.
So I suggested that she make a bunch of cute, uplifting quote cards (3×5 cards or print them from pic collage) that she can slip to someone who seems to be having a hard day. She could slip it into their bag or folder, or even into their locker. 
She began making some and we also found a fun sheet of cute quotes at a booth at Pinners Conference, the company is ADORNit . She enjoyed coloring these with the water color pencils. 
Now she can try and uplift those around her who are struggling which, in turn, makes her feel good. 
BONUS- This would be a great thing to do for the Divine Nature Value Project for Personal Progress. One suggestion in the book says, “For an extended period of time, serve someone in need, such as a young mother, a person with disabilities, or even an elderly person. Record in your journal how your service has helped you recognize the divine nature in yourself and in others.
What better way, in the teen years, to learn and keep in mind the divine nature of others and herself than to serve and uplift her fellow classmates. This could be done throughout the year and the time spent creating the cards would definitely add up to 10 hrs or more.
Really, no matter where you are in life, a teenager, a new mom, a parent of teenagers, a grandma, you can choose something you enjoy and share it with others. I promise it will bring joy to you as well as those around you.
SEE THE HAPPY
These are so adorable. I’d love them and I’m a Grammie!!
Joanie, thank you! These specific pictures are from ADORNit. Their website (which I will add to the blog post) is http://www.adornit.com/ . They have lots of cute stuff, great for any age. P.S. I love that you are a Grammie, that’s what my kids call my mom:)