How To Talk To Kids About Anything How to Talk to Girls About Being Enough as They are with Rachel Simmons
Sep 30, 2025
Rachel Simmons, a bestselling author and educator specializing in girls' development, dives into the pressures girls face today. She discusses alarming trends in anxiety and depression, emphasizing how socialization shapes girls' experiences. Rachel offers practical tools like mindful breathing to combat overthinking and shares insights on developing a growth mindset. She encourages parents to foster social media literacy and connect with their teens, reminding them to recognize their daughters' inherent worth beyond societal expectations.
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Rumination Drives Gendered Anxiety
- Girls show higher anxiety and depression partly because they ruminate more and worry about relationships and social judgment.
- Rachel Simmons links rumination to gendered socialization and peaks in young adulthood.
Interrupt Rumination With Simple Tools
- Teach girls short mindfulness moves: focus on breathing or a visible object to stop overthinking.
- Use concrete cues like picturing a stop sign or scheduling a 30-minute worry window to regain control.
Opportunity Plus Old Expectations = Overload
- Girls face role overload because new opportunities piled onto old expectations create conflicting demands.
- Simmons calls this role overload and role conflict, causing chronic stress and feelings of not being enough.
