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46 °F Forecast | Road Cams Wednesday, February 25, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend January 30, 2004 Parent-daughter event tackles esteem issues By BUFFY POLLOCK for the Mail Tribune Parents and pre-teens can get help on everything from puberty to peer pressure during an event Saturday geared just for them. The ninth annual Parent and Daughter Faire, hosted by Planned Parenthood, will be from 9 a.m. to noon at the Smullin Center on the Rogue Valley Medical Center campus. The event gives girls age 9-12 and their parents information ranging from physical changes they can expect to ways they can boost self-esteem. It also serves as an icebreaker for parents needing to talk about such issues, said Planned Parenthood education program coordinator Maggie Sullivan. "I just know that in order to prevent teen pregnancy, that this age is really key," she said. "I’ve seen all the research that shows the more a teenager and parent can communicate openly, the less likely that teen will be to become involved sexually too soon, to smoke, to drink � to engage in all those kinds of risk behavior we parents are so worried about. Advertisement "Parent and pre-teen relationships are an important foundation for those teen years when things tend to get really complicated." The event Saturday will kick off with free breakfast at 8:45 a.m., followed by a welcome from Sullivan at 9 a.m. and a performance by the Planned Parenthood teen theater troupe — a group known for screaming, squealing and whispering taboo words like "peer pressure" and "periods." From 9:30 a.m. to noon, parent-pre-teen pairs may choose any three of six mini-sessions, including "Managing the Mirror Fears," "Periods, Pimples and Puberty," "You’re Beautiful ... Naturally," "Friendship, Fun and Games" and "Partner Yoga." This event and another planned Feb. 28 at Southern Oregon University are sponsored by the Reduce Adolescent Pregnancy Project, a coalition of health care providers, educators, law enforcement and religious and community leaders in Jackson County, and by the Medford and Ashland chapters of the American Association of University Women. Mickey Ketchum, spokesperson for the Medford branch of AAUW, said the event represented everything her group encourages for young girls. "AAUW encourages girls to be all they can be," Ketchum said. "This starts with family support in the early years and the parent-daughter faire opens communication in a non-threatening, interactive and fun way." For information on either event, contact Sullivan at 770-3331. Buffy Pollock is a free-lance writer living in Medford. E-mail her at [email protected]. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times