Darien Community Tween Pop-Up Group Series
Check out this Darien Times article about Dr. Craig and the Tween Pop-Up Groups she started this summer! "Darien therapist gives free workshops for tweens"
A place for tweens to come together. . .
Everyone wants to be heard. . .to express opinions. . .to be understood
Tweens need to have people and places where they can feel supported to safely dialogue with others. . .a place where they can express feelings and thoughts and not be laughed at. This safe place can be anywhere—a church group, scouting, school clubs, sports teams. Tween Pop-Up Groups are designed to offer time and space in the community for social, emotional and character development led by tweens and guided by a licensed professional.
The developmental stage called tween years encompasses a period I call “the forgotten years”—years when parents describe the rapidly changing child with phrases like “he changed overnight” or “she is secretive” or “he has emotional outbursts for no reason” or “her friend group is more important than her family.” Overnight it seems our children turn into new people we don’t know. In reality, tweens are confused too! To them, overnight their bodies go through new changes, their emotional turbulence appears more often and hard for them to describe, and their peer relationships matter in a profound way that impacts how they see themselves. Meanwhile, parents and caregivers tend to focus during the elementary years on academics and social dynamics to make sure their children are safe and happy. And then shift to worry about the teen years and the changes ahead. These four little years between 9-12 get overlooked in the hustle and bustle.
Pop-Up Groups meet throughout the community for tweens to attend and talk openly, learn about themselves and grow in their understanding of the world around them. It is a short-term commitment (come to one, some or all the groups) that offers group members an opportunity to experience curiosity about self, answer questions they are unsure how to ask, and feel heard. Each group offers a safe place to talk, play, move, think and leave feeling lighter. Groups include time for activities, sports, discussion, games, music, art and food. The groups are happening in a variety of settings throughout our community to expose tweens to different places that are here to support and nurture their development. Each community site will have a different focus that touches on the theme of social emotional development.
AUDIENCE
Boys and girls ages 9-12.
LENGTH
Each Pop-Up Group is on site for three hour and a half sessions.
A special thank you to our Darien community sites who have hosted one of our Tween Pop-Up Groups:
Southfield Center for Development (now part of Sasco River Center)
Holistic & Integrative Wellness Center/Inspire Train Fit
Darien Nature Center
The Darien Community Association
Noroton Presbyterian Church
Darien YMCA
Dates/Locations
Southfield Center for Development-85 Old Kings Highway North, Darien CT
June 11, 4-5:30, 2019
June 18, 4-5:30, 2019
June 25, 4-5:30, 2019
Click here for flyer
Holistic & Integrative Wellness Center/Inspire Train Fit-300 Heights Road, Darien CT
June 25, 10:30am-12pm, 2019
June 26, 10:30am-12pm, 2019
June 27, 10:30am-12pm, 2019
Click here for flyer
Darien Nature Center-120 Brookside Road, Darien CT
July 9th 4-5:30, 2019
July 16th 4-5:30, 2019
July 23rd 4-5:30, 2019
Click here for flyer
The Darien Community Association-274 Middlesex Road, Darien CT
August 26th 10-11:30am, 2019
August 27th 10-11:30am, 2019
August 28th 10-11:30am, 2019
Click here for flyer
Noroton Presbyterian Church-2011 Post Road, Darien CT
September 4th 5-6:30pm, 2019
September 11th 5-6:30pm, 2019
September 18th 5-6:30pm, 2019
Click here for flyer
Darien YMCA-2420 Post Road, Darien CT
October 21st 3:30-5pm, 2019
October 23rd 3:30-5pm, 2019
October 25th 3:30-5pm, 2019
Click here for flyer
Click here to register
If you want to be a Pop Up Site email us as : info@manhattanMFT.com
Everyone wants to be heard. . .to express opinions. . .to be understood
Tweens need to have people and places where they can feel supported to safely dialogue with others. . .a place where they can express feelings and thoughts and not be laughed at. This safe place can be anywhere—a church group, scouting, school clubs, sports teams. Tween Pop-Up Groups are designed to offer time and space in the community for social, emotional and character development led by tweens and guided by a licensed professional.
The developmental stage called tween years encompasses a period I call “the forgotten years”—years when parents describe the rapidly changing child with phrases like “he changed overnight” or “she is secretive” or “he has emotional outbursts for no reason” or “her friend group is more important than her family.” Overnight it seems our children turn into new people we don’t know. In reality, tweens are confused too! To them, overnight their bodies go through new changes, their emotional turbulence appears more often and hard for them to describe, and their peer relationships matter in a profound way that impacts how they see themselves. Meanwhile, parents and caregivers tend to focus during the elementary years on academics and social dynamics to make sure their children are safe and happy. And then shift to worry about the teen years and the changes ahead. These four little years between 9-12 get overlooked in the hustle and bustle.
Pop-Up Groups meet throughout the community for tweens to attend and talk openly, learn about themselves and grow in their understanding of the world around them. It is a short-term commitment (come to one, some or all the groups) that offers group members an opportunity to experience curiosity about self, answer questions they are unsure how to ask, and feel heard. Each group offers a safe place to talk, play, move, think and leave feeling lighter. Groups include time for activities, sports, discussion, games, music, art and food. The groups are happening in a variety of settings throughout our community to expose tweens to different places that are here to support and nurture their development. Each community site will have a different focus that touches on the theme of social emotional development.
AUDIENCE
Boys and girls ages 9-12.
LENGTH
Each Pop-Up Group is on site for three hour and a half sessions.
A special thank you to our Darien community sites who have hosted one of our Tween Pop-Up Groups:
Southfield Center for Development (now part of Sasco River Center)
Holistic & Integrative Wellness Center/Inspire Train Fit
Darien Nature Center
The Darien Community Association
Noroton Presbyterian Church
Darien YMCA
Dates/Locations
Southfield Center for Development-85 Old Kings Highway North, Darien CT
June 11, 4-5:30, 2019
June 18, 4-5:30, 2019
June 25, 4-5:30, 2019
Click here for flyer
Holistic & Integrative Wellness Center/Inspire Train Fit-300 Heights Road, Darien CT
June 25, 10:30am-12pm, 2019
June 26, 10:30am-12pm, 2019
June 27, 10:30am-12pm, 2019
Click here for flyer
Darien Nature Center-120 Brookside Road, Darien CT
July 9th 4-5:30, 2019
July 16th 4-5:30, 2019
July 23rd 4-5:30, 2019
Click here for flyer
The Darien Community Association-274 Middlesex Road, Darien CT
August 26th 10-11:30am, 2019
August 27th 10-11:30am, 2019
August 28th 10-11:30am, 2019
Click here for flyer
Noroton Presbyterian Church-2011 Post Road, Darien CT
September 4th 5-6:30pm, 2019
September 11th 5-6:30pm, 2019
September 18th 5-6:30pm, 2019
Click here for flyer
Darien YMCA-2420 Post Road, Darien CT
October 21st 3:30-5pm, 2019
October 23rd 3:30-5pm, 2019
October 25th 3:30-5pm, 2019
Click here for flyer
Click here to register
If you want to be a Pop Up Site email us as : info@manhattanMFT.com
Virtual Workshops
The Social Skills Guide to Tweens
Partnership with New Canaan CARES
February 8,2021
9:30-10:30
Missed it?! Watch it here
Partnership with New Canaan CARES
February 8,2021
9:30-10:30
Missed it?! Watch it here
Books
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Articles
Tip Sheets for Tweens and Parents
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