Reconnect and have fun with your daughter at a retreat in a beautiful natural environment...

'Stay Connected' is a weekend carefully crafted for 12-15 year old girls and their mothers (or female carer) by Melissa Jeffcott, a highly regarded life coach specialising in girls and women's development. The early teenage years are well recognised as being turbulent and tumultuous for both girls and their mothers, so taking time away from the bustle of day to day life to enrich the connection between mother and daughter is not only a wonderful way to spend time together, but is an investment into the future.

From the moment you enter the beautiful exclusive property on the Friday afternoon, until your departure at lunchtime on Sunday, you will feel cared for, supported, and nurtured as you strengthen the connection with your daughter at this significant stage of her life.

VENUE:

Create@Warburton is a beautiful house specifically designed for groups on the outskirts of the gorgeous township of Warburton about 1.5 hours drive from Melbourne. See www.createatwarburton.com.au for more photos and information about this property situated in a truly wonderful natural environment. 

ITINERARY:

Friday: Arrive anytime from 5pm and make yourself at home with a cuppa before a welcome circle at 6pm where you will get to connect with the other girls and mums. A delicious nourishing dinner will be followed by an optional popcorn & movie night, or retreat to the cozy fireside with a hot chocolate and simply relax.

Saturday: We start our day together with a hearty breakfast and morning connection circle.  After this, we'll drive 15 minutes to the majestic Redwood Forest for a mindful walk amongst the giant trees, following which we will take some beautiful mother/daughter photos to preserve wonderful memories. Coming home to a warming lunch, there will be some free time to relax, before we explore our creative sides at the purpose built crafting table creating a set of personalised positive affirmation cards for the girls to take home and use. An easy dinner of home made pizzas will be prepared by the girls, then there will be some fun activities to strengthen the mother/daughter bond before a well earned rest!

Sunday: On our final morning together, there will be an optional walk to the beautiful LaLa Falls, or you can simply enjoy the relaxing environment of the house and take time to rest and soak in the view. The weekend will finish with a final connection circle where we will undertake a special ceremony celebrating the unique bond between mother and daughter. You then have the option to stop somewhere lovely in the Yarra Valley for lunch with your daughter on the way home to really appreciate the magical experience you have just been on.

WHAT'S INCLUDED:

• Accomodation for 2 nights including towels and all linen (see below for room  configurations, there will be a maximum of 5 mother/daughter pair plus myself on the weekend).
• Dinner on Friday, Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner on Saturday, Breakfast on Sunday & healthy snacks in between (please notify me in advance with any dietary requirements)
• All activities and materials including facilitated circle time, guided walks, positive affirmation card making, and mother/daughter bonding exercises.

WHAT TO BRING:

• Warm clothes and layers, wet weather gear, shoes suitable for walking, toiletries, a camera (or phone with camera) and a photo of you at a similar age as your daughter. You will also be asked to bring a small inexpensive gift to give a girl (not your daughter) in our final circle: I will provide more info about this in an email closer to the date. 

ROOM OPTIONS (Rooms will be allocated via ticket sales on a first come basis):

Bedroom 1 - has two sets of bunks (4 single beds) and one single bed. This will mean two mother & daughter pairs will be sharing, so it may be ideal if you are keen to attend with another mother and her daughter, or if you don't mind sharing a room.

Bedroom 2 - has a queen sized bed, so this would mean sharing a bed with your daughter.

Bedroom 3 - has two single beds.

Bedroom 4 - has one double bed and one single bed.

QUESTIONS:

• Is this retreat only for 12-15 year old girls? I have specially designed this weekend for girl's of this age range and developmental stage. I am running a similar weekend for 8-11 year old girls and their mums in October, all details can be found at www.stickytickets.com.au/67558
• Can I bring 2 daughters? This weekend is all about connection and strengthening the bond between you and your daughter. Due to the nature of the activities, it is really only suitable for one daughter.
• What is the policy regarding phones/screen time during the weekend? While the girls are welcome to bring their phones, I will be asking for them to be put away during meals, circle time, and during group activities. This weekend is designed to foster connection, so we will set up guidelines around mindful use through the weekend.
• What if I buy a ticket, and then can no longer attend? Unfortunately there will be no refunds, however your space is fully transferable. Please email me and I will endeavour to help in this regard.
• I am interested, but cannot make this date, will you be running another weekend? Email me at melissa@melissajeffcott.com to be added to a list for further weekend retreats.

ABOUT THE FACILITATOR:

Melissa Jeffcott is a certified life coach and workshop facilitator. With a background in child psychology, Melissa is passionate about empowering girls to be strong and confident as they face the unique challenges of growing up in this day and age. Melissa regularly runs Women's Circles and tween wellbeing workshops in Bayside Melbourne, and has 3 children (2 girls and a boy). For more information please go to www.melissajeffcott.com or feel free to email me at melissa@melissajeffcott.com with any questions you may have.

Kind Words:

'I really wanted this special time with my daughter one on one in a beautiful environment. I wanted to show her how important support from women around you is, and that being open and sharing with each other is vital to our wellbeing. It was all that I had hoped for and more. I would highly recommend all mums and daughters participate in a workshop with Melissa,  Melissa has a heart of gold and the attention to detail is brilliant. I truly hope my daughter remembers this day always, I know I will'. Katie

'Thank you for facilitating a fabulous day for my daughter and I. It was beautifully and thoughtfully considered day of activities that truly celebrated this special stage of the girls lives, and enhanced the relationships between all the mums and daughters who attended. I couldn’t recommend it more highly to any mums who have daughters at this age'. Ruth