Here at The Shona Project, we work to empower the new generation of young girls. We understand that growing up in Ireland in 2023 can be very challenging. We also understand that being parents, guardians or just someone with a teen in their life can also be challenging It can be very hard to understand what they are going through and even more difficult to know how you can help.

So, to try to create the most positive eco-system for the girls, we have decided to create this little section on our website. It is just for you, an adult who has a teenager in their life that you just want to support. Our aim for this section of our site is to use our knowledge of young girls to help you, parents, guardians and other adults, better understand their world. We aim to provide information on things like the newest social media platforms and how you can help your girls stay safe online. We want this section to complement our current programmes to enhance the learning and empowerment the girls’ experience after a Shona workshop or engaging with us online. We hope to give parents a space to share their experiences and help each other through the teenage years.

So, below are some key articles we have written to assist you in better supporting a teen in your life. Just hit “LEARN MORE HERE!” on the article you want to find out more about it. We have also gone that extra mile and added an informative interview with an expert at the end of each of the posts. These interviews were recorded for our annual SHINE Festival, and are recorded in a tone that our teens can understand and connect with. The language used might help you with your own conversations between you and your teen! If you have a question or a topic you would like us to focus on next, please just reach out to us at info@shona.ie.

Your Teen Isn’t Lazy – Here’s Why …

Being a parent can be tough, especially being a parent of a teenager.

There are a lot of emotions, attitudes galore, and enough sass to rival Lizzo. But something we often hear parents say about their teenagers is “they are just so lazy.”

We’re not here to call you out (well we are just a little bit), but did you know that your teen could have much more going on, which is resulting in what you might see as laziness?

We came across this really cool explanation and it’s actually all about emotions and cutlery.

Learn More Here!

Your Teen And Their Phone – Here’s What We’d Like You To Know …

Listen, we know there is nothing on this green Earth that would convince your daughter to give up her phone, but what if we were to give you some tips for supporting her being online?

Maybe help her reduce her anxiety and truly put an end to her FOMO.

P.S. Why not take some of this advice yourself and lead by example? You’ve got this, good luck!

Learn More Here!

How You Can Help Your Teen Nourish Their Body

A teenager’s body needs more nourishment than ever. They are going through huge physical, mental and emotional changes. In order to thrive they need to nourish that gorgeous body, listen to what it needs, and be in tune with how good food makes us feel.

Here are some top tips we have gathered from our friends – who are experts in this field (shout out to Rebecca Garvey and Hannah Thornton) – so that we can teach our teens how to eat better, so that they can perform better.

Learn More Here!

Helping Your Teen Get Over Heartbreak

As parents or guardians, we want to protect our teens from anything that causes them hurt or stress.

Unfortunately, some things they will just have to learn themselves. One of those life lessons is heartbreak.

So let’s get down to business. How do we help a teen put themself back together again?

Learn More Here!

Your Teen’s First Job – Here’s How You Can Support Them

The worst thing about getting a job is that everyone wants you to have some experience.

But for our teens, how do they get experience when they’ve never had a job?

Here are a few tips we’ve learned that might help your teen nail that interview for their summer job!

Learn More Here!

Your Teen And Bullying – Here’s How You Can Support

As an adult in a teen’s life, we are often left heartbroken to see our teens going through such a tough time.

Sometimes, we just have to be the safe space for our teens. Be the shoulder to cry on and be there to help them advocate for themselves.

Over the years, we have heard countless stories and experiences of bullying in schools. So we’ve been able to put together some ways you can support a teen who is experiencing bullying.

Check Back Soon To Read More!