A meaningful way to prepare for bas mitzva

Happydance

Wed, Jan 10 2024, 10:27 pm

Can you share an idea of a book or sefer you learned together to make becoming a bas miztva meaningful but also not overwhelming?

Other ideas of how to prepare her emotionally and spiritually for this transformation?

JPF

amother

Dimgray

Wed, Jan 10 2024, 10:57 pm

One of my girls was privileged to attend a wonderful class series on women in tanach and Jewish history, that included activities and projects. It was perfect.

I also learned an easier hilchos kashrus or hilchos Shabbos in the kitchen with each over time, and paired it with cooking and baking together, and either eating it or giving it away (donation meals.) And if there was a shailah in the kitchen we called the rav together and asked, using what we had learned together.

Happydance

Thu, Jan 11 2024, 8:57 pm

Happydance wrote:

Bump

Would love some guidance from experienced moms!

amother

Clematis

Thu, Jan 11 2024, 9:11 pm

Does your daughter like arts and crafts? You could make a large photo collage of the past generations of your family, leading up to her, now that she is stepping up as the next generation. You could involve grandmothers and other older women in the family. In my experience, older women love showing and talking about old photos. Depending how elaborate your daughter wants to make it, it could be huge, with stories about the different people, or in a book form.

I would use copies of photos though, rather than originals for the collage.

For learning, I've heard of people doing Pirkei Avos with their daughters. But really, it should be whatever you think your daughter would enjoy. If she really likes narrative and action, you could do something from Navi. If she likes to be philosophical, you could do Pirkei Avos, Sefer Hachinuch, or Rambam's Hilchos Deios.

By the way, maybe add to your OP how much time is left before her bas mitzvah and how much time you have to devote to this per week.

amother

Lightblue

Thu, Jan 11 2024, 10:52 pm

amother Clematis wrote:

Thanks so much for your reply
I really enjoy your ideas and perspectives.

Her bas mitzva is in a few months. So I thought we could learn a few minutes a few times a week or something like that

amother

Lilac

Fri, Jan 12 2024, 1:26 am

There's a couple of books around bas yisroel

https://www.eichlers.com/bas-m......html

This one is likely to be too comprehensive, but you could just pick out some of the parts that you want to cover.
https://www.eichlers.com/halic......html

amother

Carnation

Fri, Jan 12 2024, 6:54 am

amother DarkCyan wrote:

You can bake challah with her as she’s now of age where she can make the bracha of hafrashas challah

My mother would keep us home from school on the day of the bas mitzvah, we'd make challah and take challah with a bracha

tehilap

Fri, Jan 12 2024, 7:16 am

My daughter is born two days before Rosh hashana so I went to the kotel with her at night,it was so beautiful I want to go every year. We left before slichot but it was so nice to see so many people .the next dat she was lucky to do hafrashos challa on the day also a beautiful experience, im not going to tell whomwas crying, as far as a sefer I think at that age there still overwhelmed with all that there learning in school they dont.need more sefarim so maybe somthing light in English (or ivrit if you live in israel) like hilshos shaboss or hafrashas challa. Volunteering is also a beautiful project you could do together.

amother

Denim

Fri, Jan 12 2024, 1:46 pm

My daughters school has a beautiful BAs mitzva prep program. Maybe you can choose a mitzva and do a special project together- soul singers/cLl volunteering/tomchei shabbos or whatever speaks to you.