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Photo by Bob Pennell Mothers and daughters will share some conversation and fun at the "Let's Talk" parent-daughter fair Saturday in Medford. Clockwise from top are Cynthia Maclaren, Paula Sohl, Hannah Sohl, 10, Vida Pedersen, 12, Kathy Scott and Kaia Maclaren, 11, all of Ashland. `Let's talk' keeps line open Mom-daughter fair centers on issues for pre-teens By JONEL ALECCIA At age 10, Hannah Sohl is still willing to nestle next to her mom on the couch, still willing to confide worries and wonders and jokes they both can giggle about. Her mother, Paula Sohl, knows that connection may change over the next few years, shifting to something a little less open, a little more private. So she figures she should start now if she wants to keep the communication going. That's why Hannah and her mom will be among an anticipated 300 people attending "Let's Talk," a parent and daughter fair aimed at girls 9 to 12. "It's just a time to get some shared information and then have a springboard for things to talk about in the future," says Paula Sohl. The Ashland mom attended a similar event a few years ago with her older daughter, Rachel, now 13. Held at the Smullin Health Education Center in Medford, the free fair runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday and includes a series of workshops, demonstrations, talks and games about subjects crucial to the lives of pre-adolescent girls. Presentations will center on serious issues _ body image, friendship, communication, decision-making _ offered with a fun twist. The agenda calls for a session called "Pimples, Periods and Puberty" for instance, a talk that culminates in "Puberty Bingo," a game aimed at helping girls get comfortable talking about body changes. "That is SO funny!" says Vida Pedersen, 12, of Ashland, who's hoping to attend the event with her mom, Kathy Scott. "Puberty bingo!" says Kaia Maclaren, 11, Vida's friend. Then the girls burst into giggles. That's good, says Kaia's mom, Cynthia Maclaren. The conference will be a way for girls to gain information about adolescence in an arena that includes their friends as well as their parents. It's one of several experiences Maclaren is seeking as Kaia matures. "There are things about the common bond of womanhood that it's good to stop and celebrate," says Maclaren. "I see Kaia at this age changing really quickly." The sooner parents start talking about sensitive issues, the better, says Karen O'Dougherty, a former Ashland teacher who offers private workshops on puberty. "It's not just one conversation, it's several," she says. "A lot of studies say that it's a conversation that should start early and continue. It's important to keep introducing the subjects." Such events began six years ago as an outreach project sponsored by Reduce Adolescent Pregnancy Project. It was first offered as a mother-daughter event, notes coordinator Mavis Cloutier, and it attracted more than 300 girls and women. Over the years, different versions evolved, including sessions aimed at boys and their parents. Those were successful, but Cloutier says she kept getting calls from folks who wanted a day just for daughters. "We had a lot of people complaining that we didn't have the mother-daughter fair," she said. So this year, it's back, augmented with plans to hold special, separate sessions for boys in the spring. The girls' fair is especially appealing to parents looking for a way to counter cultural forces that diminish young girls' self-esteem as they get older, Cloutier says. "This is a day where they learn that it's important not only to look good on the outside, but to feel good about yourself on the inside," Cloutier says. No advance registration is required to attend the fair; participants can simply show up. For more information, call 774-8200. Today's Edition : News | Sports | Business | Weather | Tempo | Classifieds Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA