I remember the day when I went out for an evening run, knowing that I wasn't going to return home. I didn't want to end my life, but I knew I couldn't keep living in the same toxic environment. I knew I didn't want to leave my children, but I no longer knew how to provide protection. Staying home was miserable and unsafe. During that time in my life, taking a chance on the exposure of an unknown virus over the complete chaos that I was experiencing in my home, was a chance I would have been willing to take. Staying home is not always easy nor simple.
You see, we are much more than a cookie company bearing a founder's name. Junita's Jar is a company on a mission to shift the narrative from the voice of the perpetrator to the voice of the change makers...and together, we can change the stats!
Last week I had the opportunity to connect with the Nicole and Alex, co-founders of Iridescent Women and The Iridescent Podcast, a podcast dedicated to sharing real experiences and conversations to champion, encourage, and inspire each other to explore our own unique brilliance. Chatting with Nicole and Alex felt like a conversation among life long friends, sharing stories of inspiration, hardship and transformation.
Open, engaged and informed conversations with trusted adults are just one of the many important steps required in fostering healthy relationships. February is #teendatingviolenceawareness month (TDVAM) and here are five simple conversation starter tips for parents, encouraging dialogue about relationship violence.
Just as common as it is to talk about #whatsfordinner, we have to engage our teens in conversations about dating. Research tells us that 81% of parents believe teen dating violence is not an issue or admit they don’t know if it’s an issue. For many parents, conversations about dating and healthy relationships with our teens can feel awkward or in some cases we may convince ourselves that it is unnecessary because “that’s not an issue for us,” but I invite you to start the conversations anyway. The key is to spark conversation and not a deliver a lecture.
