August 26th: Women’s Equality Day | Empowering the Women in Your Life

Remind her of the fantastic contribution she makes to her family! Stay-at-home moms often feel like they don’t contribute enough to their families. After all, their job doesn’t come with an income. However, stay-at-home moms give so much to their families! They are there to raise their babies, manage their homes, provide comfort, encouragement, and love to their family, and give everything they have to make sure the ones they love are safe, happy, and healthy.
Give her a break! Encourage her to take a night off! Offer to take the kids for the evening so she can go out with friends or have a date night! After spending all her time with little ones, a little bit of adult conversation can do wonders to lift her spirits!
Encourage her to pursue her passion! All people have dreams, and stay-at-home moms are no exception! Many moms have given up their careers or educational opportunities to stay home with their kids. Encouraging the stay-at-home mom in your life to pursue those passions may be just what she needs!

Encourage Self-Care Time. Between work and caring for kids, working moms often find it challenging to make time for self-care. Empower the working moms in your life by encouraging them to take some time for themselves! That little bit of me-time could make all the difference!
Help out in the home. Studies show that working moms still take on the majority of the household tasks such as childcare, cleaning, and cooking. This leads to burnout and exhaustion. By helping out in the home, you empower working moms to take a break!
Celebrate their Accomplishments! Working moms are multitasking superheroes! Make a point to celebrate their accomplishments, both in the workplace and at home! Taking the time to acknowledge and celebrate the wins in her life will make her feel seen and appreciated.

Listen! Caring for elderly parents can often be stressful, exhausting, and overwhelming. Encourage the women in your life who have taken on the Caregiver role by giving them someone to talk to who wont judge them and who actually listens.
Include them in fun activities. Being a caregiver to an elderly parent can often become very isolating and lonely. Make an effort to include the women in your life who are caring for their elderly family members to help combat the loneliness.
Keep their health needs in mind. Caring for elderly relatives can be physically and mentally draining. Encourage the caregivers in your life to take time to see to their own health and wellbeing too! Offer a massage to help ease those aching muscles, or give her some time to rest and recharge.

Talk to them! Talk to your daughters about the changes in their bodies as they grow up. Remind them that bodies come in all shapes and sizes and that perfection is not real. Encourage her to list all the things that her body can do, and the things about her that make her feel beautiful.
Encourage healthy habits. Encourage the girls in your life to make healthy dietary choices and to exercise regularly. By encouraging healthy decisions, you empower girls to build strong, healthy bodies. Sports are also a great way to help girls focus more on what their body can do and less on what it looks like.
Model Body Positivity. Did you know that if your child grows up hearing you talk negatively about your own body, that they are more likely to feel uncomfortable about their bodies too? Try to model body positivity for your girls by making healthy choices in your own life and talking about the ways your body is beautiful just the way it is!

Girls Inc. “The network of local Girls Inc. nonprofit organizations serves girls ages 5-18 at more than 1,500 sites in 350 cities across the United States and Canada. Our evidence-based programming is delivered by trained professionals who focus on the development of the whole girl, supporting, mentoring and guiding girls in an affirming, pro-girl environment. Here, girls learn to value their whole selves, discover and develop their inherent strengths, and receive the support they need to navigate the challenges they face.”

Website: girlsinc.org

Girls on the Run. “Girls on the Run reaches girls at a critical stage, strengthening their confidence at a time when society begins to tell them they can’t. Underscoring the important connection between physical and emotional health, our program addresses the whole girl when she needs it the most.”

Website: girlsontherun.org

CARE. “CARE is a global leader within a worldwide movement dedicated to ending poverty. We are known everywhere for our unshakeable commitment to the dignity of people. We put women and girls in the center because we know that we cannot overcome poverty until all people have equal rights and opportunities.”

Website: care.org

Just Like My Child. “Our vision is to create a dramatic improvement in the world’s health, economic stability, and environment by empowering vulnerable adolescent girls to achieve their full potential. I know that I speak for so many people when I say that all children are Just Like My Child. Let’s close the great divide.”

Website: justlikemychild.org