The most underrated puberty superpower


Happy Pink Full Moon,

Our popular Girl & Grown-Up "Period Power" workshop is back on April 25th as well as our virtual "Pause Power" workshop on April 22nd.

There’s something I keep noticing lately, in my students, in my daughter, and honestly… in myself too.

Sleep deprivation.

Our body literacy classes always begin with a check-in and a chance for students to draw a picture of their "inner weather report" in their journal.

One of my students said they noticed a pattern. "I am always tired!" they exclaimed.

Several students realized they had a lot in common:
Late nights.
Restless sleep.
Waking up already depleted.

This is the part of puberty that almost no one talks about.

Because when kids hit adolescence, their internal clocks actually shift.
Their brains are wired to fall asleep later, but the world still expects them to wake up early.

So what does that look like in real life?

More irritability.
More anxiety.
More conflict.
More self-doubt.

Not because something is “wrong” with them,
but because their nervous systems are exhausted.

And here’s the reframe I wish more kids embraced:

Sleep is a superpower.

I love telling my students about the study that discovered kids that got more sleep grew taller. Of course, I mention that genetics and nutrition are the primary players and that human bodies come in all sorts of amazing shapes and sizes.

Sleep is powerful because it helps us:
→ regulate big emotions
→ make clearer decisions
→ feel more confident in our bodies
→ manage stress (which is real at this age)

Without it, everything feels harder.
With it, everything gets just a little more manageable.

This is actually one of the things we teach at camp,
not as a rule, but as part of body literacy.

Understanding:
“What is my body trying to tell me?”
“What do I need to feel energized again?”

When kids can read those signals early,
they don’t just survive puberty. They move through it with more ease.

One of our campers asked her friend at camp:
“Did camp change how you feel about your period?”

Her answer was immediate:
“Yes… Now I feel less worried and more comfortable talking about my body.”

(I’ll share the video here. It says more than I ever could.)

video preview

And from a parent:

“My daughter said it was her favorite camp of all time. She came home feeling confident talking about her body—and begging to go back.”

We’re down to the final spots for summer, and with only 12 girls per week, it tends to fill quickly from here.

A few details, if you’re considering:

• July 13 -17: Glow Up! — 3 spots left
• July 20 - 24: You Grow Girl! — 2 spots left
• August 10 -14: STEMinista — 3 spots left

And if you’re reading this as a mom and thinking,
“Wait… my sleep is a mess too.”

You’re not imagining it.

Perimenopause has its own sleep disruptions—
middle-of-the-night wake-ups, lighter sleep, racing thoughts at 3 am.

Two life stages.
Same nervous system asking for support.

Spring is the perfect time for a body lit boost. I'm offering our virtual "Pause Power" workshop on Wednesday, April 22 from 7 - 8:30 pm.

I'm also offering a "Girl & Grown-up Period Power" workshop on Saturday, April 25 from 4 - 5:30 pm at our treehouse classroom in Glen Park, San Francisco.

With gratitude,
Konika


As always, thank you for supporting out small business.

Please forward this newsletter to a friend. 💙

600 1st Ave, Ste 330 PMB 92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2246
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Girl Power Science

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