Do you have a 5th grade girl?

Until now, your child may have been reasonably happy for you to make most of the major decisions in her life. But as she grows, so she develops a strong will of her own. It can feel hurtful when an amenable, friendly child suddenly becomes moody and snaps at you over the slightest thing.
Some parents find these changes harder than others to deal with. However, some parents prefer having young people to talk to and spend time with. For the adolescent, it's an experimental time, working out what sort of teenager and young person she's eventually going to become.
Emotional signs include:
• Moodiness and rapid changes of temperament
• Strong feelings about many different things (embarrassment, love, hate)
• Worry over appearance, especially the unfamiliar body changes
• Becoming much more idealistic and aware of external issues
• Sensitivity over body appearance - never tease your adolescent over spots, body shape and other physical changes
From around the time a child transfers to secondary school at about 11 or 12, the influence of friends often begins to take on greater importance than that of parents. The clothes they wear, the school bags they carry, the music and films they like must all be slavishly copied. This is extremely important for adolescents - nothing is more vital to them than feeling that they belong and are accepted by their peers. (Information taken from “Adolescence and your relationship” by Claire Halsey).
5th Graders at the Vineyard Church

The truth is that this time of pre-adolescence can be crazy for any family. So how can the Vineyard help with your craziness? We have a club for 5th grade girls that meets about every other Sunday night during the school year. The club is called clX (pronounced “clicks”). This club was named by the first clX girls’ club and stands for “Chicks Loving Christ”. (The “X” is a Greek symbol often used to represent Christ).

The point of the club is to bring 5th grade girls together to build a group of peers that you want your child to run around with throughout their teen years. And when there is a quiet moment, Selena (our children’s pastor) inserts biblical instruction about their identity as designed by Christ.

We would love to have your pre-teen join us for clX. For more information about when the next clX meeting is happening, call Selena at (859) 689-0777 ext. 124, or email her at selena.newton@vineyardchristian.org.