For Mothers, from Sil:

Q: What happens in your workshop?
A: We have created a schedule that involves equal parts ‘doing’ and ‘being’, words you will hear a lot about during our workshop weekend. As a community, we learn about creating balance in our lives, by practicing it: slowing down in the beauty of nature and leaving our fast-paced lives for a couple of days.

Besides helping restore body and soul, our workshop weekend helps restore and reinforce the mother/daughter bond (if it is needed) through communication exercises, ritual, art projects and storytelling. We help build bridges between mother and daughter and teach how to keep those bridges strong through the teen years.

Q: My daughter is resisting coming to your workshop. I know it will be good for our relationship. Any ideas as to how to bring her without her kicking and screaming all the way?
A: The workshop seems to start at home, before you even get to us! In the workshop we mothers talk a lot about how to get our daughters to do things that we know will be good for them when they don’t agree with us. There is no easy answer here, but we encourage you, Mom, to trust your intuition (another word we talk a lot about in our workshop) and bring your daughter, no matter what!

We find, especially for our 13-15 year old daughters workshop, that girls want to be with their peers at home and that sometimes, our workshop can be a tough ‘sell.’ Eliza is happy to talk with your daughter on the phone or via email or Facebook and answer her questions about our workshop weekend. Send your daughter to the FOR DAUGHTER page here on our website. In the four years of teaching our workshop, WE HAVE NEVER HAD A DAUGHTER REGRET COMING. Eliza creates an almost instant, really fun, girl community: your daughter will make new friends and find that she actually wants to slow down and spend a weekend with her mom. Daughters spend a good part of the weekend with Eliza and the other daughters, as do mothers with Sil and the other mothers.

Q: I have a pretty good relationship with my daughter. Is your workshop only for mothers and daughters who are having problems in their relationship?
A: Everyone is welcome in our workshop and it has been our experience that mothers and daughters who have a good relationship with each other get a lot of value out of our workshop weekend. We feel that there is no limit to strengthening the mother/daughter bond and that there is always more to learn and much to celebrate.

Q: I am really interested in coming but my daughter is too old for your workshops. Do you ever offer this workshop for other age groups?
A: Unfortunately, not at this time. We are hoping to add a workshop for mothers and their 16-20 year-old daughters in 2012. Please let us know about your interest now, so we can add you to our waiting list: info@motheringanddaughtering.com

Q: I can’t afford this workshop but I really want to come with my daughter. Do you offer scholarships?
A: Yes we have a limited number of partial and full scholarships for each workshop. You can email Sil about this at: info@motheringanddaughtering.com

Q: I can’t come all the way to California or New York and/or the dates don’t work for me. Do you ever travel to teach your workshop if I can bring together a group of mothers and daughters?
A: Yes! You can email Sil about bringing our workshop to your community: info@motheringanddaughtering.com

Q: What should I bring to your workshop?
A: Comfy clothes and photographs of mothers, daughters, grandmothers, aunts and female mentors. We have a table where we honor our female ancestors and the women and girls we hold nearest and dearest.

Q: What about a workshop for fathers and daughters or mothers and sons?
A: When mothers ask us this question we always say, what a great idea! Maybe you can create a workshop and teach what you know about what makes these relationships work and thrive.