Balcony Girls!

It’s interesting how hospitality can come in all different shapes and sizes. Today it became evident in my home as I met with 8 ten-year-old girls, ending their Faithgirlz season.

These girls are now moving up. Next year they will come back as 5th graders with a new name and mission for the group: to become Balcony Girls!

Our new focus for 5th grade will be: to build one another up and not tear down. To learn the value of friendships, to learn that words can go deep into the marrow of a girl’s soul and impact her for the rest of her life. To learn how applauding one another impacts their every day life.
For girls this age, their search for intimacy right now could set the pattern for the rest of their lives.
(End of year gift for the girls: photo in $1 frame from Dollar Store)

Girls so often identify themselves by how they connect with others. They have a passion and purpose that goes far beyond relationships, but relationships are where it all starts. Their identity has already begun to blossom.

Many people have asked me about my group, so here is the history. (By the way, there is a Faithgirlz website which I do not use, but is easy to access. I chose to write my own lessons by watching the dynamics of my own girls.)

I started this group when my daughter was in 3rd grade. Third grade is the perfect age to start a girls group, as they are just getting into the thick of relationships.

For two years now, I have brought these girls home with me after school, twice a month, for an hour-and a half, to discuss friendships and what God says about them. Each girl has awesome parents who reinforce what we talk about.

The girls keep a journal. I take digital pictures of our activities each week; then I print them out and paste them in order in each girl’s journal!

To keep it simple, I send a sheet home with them each time we meet, so they can review what we talked about with their parents. I shorten this lesson and paste the pertinent information into their journal to save time. Each sheet sent home includes our discussion for the day, an appropriate Bible verse to memorize if they want to, and a faith tip. For example: “Put yourself in someone else’s shoes and treat them the way you want to be treated.”

Overall, these girls do treat each other with respect. When I hear about different situations that come up at school, I will then bring it up in our group, so we can work it out by role-playing with different scenarios.

After we talk, have a snack, and discussion, we then do an activity or a craft.

I’m often asking myself if I am being a balcony person or a basement person when relating to others. Am I an encouraging friend? Am I in their corner? Am I applauding them? Or is jealousy creeping in?

These are lessons for life not only for my girls, but also for me.

I want to be a Balcony Girl!


Today’s discussion was based on our NEW 5th grade mission statement.

We made Father’s Day cards and decorated envelopes, and the girls will be giving their Daddy a personalized hankie from Hankicards, that says Happy Father’s Day!

The girls always beg me to make this snack!

Sandy’s Mini Pizzas
Line up soda crackers on a plate
Dot each cracker with a dropping of ketchup
Sprinkle with grated cheese
Barely sprinkle Oregano on top
Microwave until cheese is melted.

Contact me by email if you would like more information on starting a Balcony Girls group.