BARGAIN SUMMER TOPS FOR GIRLS

CLICK LINK TO SHOP

/http://www.affairedepastelle.com/

OUR WISH LIST ON CHILDREN’S DAY

Children’s day was celebrated recently across the world and I asked some ladies of a movement I belong to called Raising Confident Girls, what one thing they would like changed for more children to be happy? Here are some responses.

A greater sense of hope, faith and strong role models who instil them with insight, awakened sense of spirituality, respect for oneself and a deep understanding of self love.

A sense of pride to make it easier.

That every child will be born and raised in an atmosphere of love, faith and hope.

An appreciation for the natural things in life away from the technological highway (Tv, XBox, Phones and Social Media!) and a deeper sense of self and self worth.

Heightened self confidence.

That every child would have a sibling to play with and be friends with.

For all our children to grow up where all the 'rights of children' are of paramount importance.

Love and more love.

That every child will be loved without discrimination. Because we can give without loving but there's no way we can love without giving. Every child deserves the best.

Bring back the era when kids were kids and not adults as it is obtainable now.

To feel loved, secured and thrive.

A very strong law against child sexual abuse and child molestation.

An environment where every child will feel safe and free without looking over her shoulder.

Quality education in a good environment.

A world where every child's upbringing will be every adult's responsibility. That's communal living.

Improved nutrition for children in orphanages.

A society where every child is equal and free of violence and abuse of power..

The right to a bright future through education.

A world with shelter/housing and food for all children plus protection against child abuse/early marriage for the girl child.

Fear of God, salvation, understanding of eternity and hope.

Hope for future greatness regardless of social background, education, race or religion and protection from future uncertainties and challenges.

A world where children are same from every form of harm - physical, psychological and the ill misuse of social media.

Change television morning and afternoon programmes to include educational and instructive cartoon programmes instead of the almost porn musical videos they show at all times these days.

That every child should have a mum and dad alive raising them in the fear of God.

A world where children would be treated with equality irrespective of tribe, race or colour.

A world where all children will have sufficient to eat and be safe.

LET’S BRING BACK RESPECT

Everyone is complaining. The social order of the world is changing and respect seems to be declining. But that doesn’t have to be the case. When you are a valuable girl, you respect yourself and respect others.

According to the dictionary, respect means a due regard for the feelings, wishes, or rights of others. Let us look at the ways we can respect everybody.

Respect for parents

I was always taught to respect my parents and I am sure that this is true for most people. They have done so much for me and even if they hadn’t, the fact that they are my parents means I should respect them. 

If you are still living at home that means you need to obey their rules. You may not like them, but as far as they pay the bills and it’s their home, then you need to respect them. Another thing you shouldn’t do (no matter how much they annoy you at times) is speak back to them in a rude way.

Respect for teachers

If you are still at school or at some sort of educational institution, then you should respect the teachers who are there to teach you. Many teachers complain that their students just don’t respect them any more. Some students are disruptive in class and others speak back when they are being corrected. 

This has a snowball effect because it then means that all the other students may end up disrespecting the teacher too. Teachers are not perfect and if there is a particular teacher that is causing you any pain or embarrassment, then you do have a right to take it up with the school.

Respect for friends

You should always show respect to your friends. Do not invade their space. Do not dominate conversations. Offer to listen rather than do all the talking. Be respectful and mindful. Don’t throw items at them. Also don’t try and belittle them in front of others. If a friend has told you a secret, don't spread it to others. Do to others, as you would have them do to you.

Respect for your environment

Whether you are at home or in a property you need to be respectful and keep it neat and tidy. Don’t clutter your house with items or leave things lying around. Don’t deliberately break school items or write on schools walls or in public toilet walls. It's really not cool. 

Respect for yourself

They say in order to gain respect you have to start by respecting yourself. So that would include the manner in which you dress and the way you speak. Dress with respect. Speak with authority. Speak with confidence.

I am sure that if we all practice these nuggets then the world will be a better place. 

FRIENDSHIPS THAT LAST A LIFE TIME

Writing about friendships gives me such delight because I love my friends and my friends love me. Well some of them do. (She smiles) 

Females friendships get bad press because half of the time, they are said to be overly competitive, envious and spiteful. In fact, recently a lady informed me that she has never really had a close female friendship. I felt for her because I have experienced the joy of having good female friends. Below is a list of important ingredients that makes a friendship last a lifetime.

Open Communication

Successful relationships are based on honest and open communication. A relationship with a good friend can break down because important issues are swept under the carpet. One day someone may explode, hurtful things are said and the friendship is over. Friendships that last are the ones where you can totally be yourself and you don’t have to mind what you say.

Love Conquers All

A friend loves at all times. The greatest gift of all is love and a friendship that has that essential element can be as close as a blood sister. Some of my closest female friends are like my sisters. We may not speak all the time or see each other but the thing that binds us together is love because love never fails.

Trust Factor

A very important factor in a friendship is trust. Can she trust you to be there through thick and thin? Can she trust your loyalty? A lot of friendships break up when the going gets tough but the ones that are there for each other during the lowest points are the ones that last and are stronger.

Give Her Some Respect

You need to respect your friend’s time, her other relationships (even the ones you don’t approve) and the person that she is. A friendship can break up because of lack of respect and over familiarity.

Acceptance Is Key

Acceptance is what will keep the friendship rolling for years. Friendships that last are the ones that are accepting of each other’s strengths and flaws. The fastest way for a relationship to end is if one person feels like she is being controlled. Nobody likes to be controlled. You have to accept your friend and her decisions. You may not like some of her decisions but it is still her own life.

Valuable Friendships

Successful friendships are based on how you both value each other. How do you value the friendship you may ask? By doing the above: good communication, love, respect, trust, and acceptance. Don’t forget to pray for each other. When you display all of the above, then you are on track for having a friendship that will last a life time.

Finally, a lasting friendship has to be reciprocated. There’s no way a friendship can last if you are both not doing the above for each other.

DRESS FOR RESPECT

This week’s Met Gala awards caused an uproar on a facebook group that I am part of, called Raising Confident Girls. A lot of members were outraged at some of the outfits that female celebrities wore because these are celebrities that their daughters look up to. Has fashion gone too far?

The popular view was that these celebrities are not setting good examples for young girls and that showing too much skin is not a sign of strong inner confidence. Let’s discuss reasons why it is wise for girls to keep their clothes on and not show so much skin.

Respect

People make opinions about you in the first 5 seconds. You can still look fashionable without your clothes looking too skimpy. Chizzy felt pressured by some of her friends because their outfits were getting shorter and shorter but her mum taught her how to respect her body. So despite the pressure she decided not to dress provocatively.

Danger

Unfortunately when you dress in very skimpy clothes you are more likely to get unnecessary attention and if you are alone it can be dangerous. Jackie nearly got herself into trouble because she dressed quite provocatively to a party. She had been out with some friends but didn’t have anyone to drop her home, so she caught the bus. 

By the time she got near her house a few men started chasing her. They wanted to rape her. She ran for her dear life and managed to get home. She was lucky to escape being attacked.

Self worth

Your self-worth is not determined by how tight your dress is or how much flesh you are showing. Your self-worth comes from inside. Wearing skimpy clothes does not actually increase your self-worth. It actually makes one look trashy and unladylike.

Confidence

When you are strong and feel worthy inside, then you do not have to resort to displaying all your body parts for everyone to see. Inner confidence comes from inside of you and how deeply you know and accept yourself. You don’t need to wear skimpy clothes to feel confident.

Finally, as a valuable girl, you are rare just like a diamond. Diamonds are not displayed everywhere for all to see. And so as a precious girl your body is a temple. You can still be fashionable but all body parts shouldn’t be on display for all to see because you are far too valuable.