Saturday, October 31, 2009

Sue Scheff: Hannah's Sock Holiday Drive - It is always better to give!


By Susan Heim

In Toledo, Ohio, on Thanksgiving Day in 2004, four-year-old Hannah Turner helped her mom, Doris, serve food at a local homeless shelter. She saw a man with holes in his shoes and no socks, and she asked her mom if she could offer the man her own socks. The next day, Hannah’s mom took her to buy more socks and distribute them to local shelters. That year, they collected and donated more than 100 pairs of socks in the area. Over the next two years, Hannah distributed nearly 10,000 pairs of socks to shelters with the help of her mother, family and friends. Since then, Hannah’s Socks has collected more than 100,000 pairs of socks for homeless and domestic violence shelters.

The annual Hannah’s Socks Holiday Sock Drive has just been launched this year, with The Clorox Company as its sponsor. Their goal is to gather and donate 10,000 pairs of new socks to underprivileged children’s programs, as well as homeless and domestic violence shelters.

Wouldn’t this be a wonderful project for your family to adopt this holiday season? It would be a simple but powerful way to teach your children about giving to those in need. Your efforts can take many forms:

- Donate socks

- Host a drop box/sock drive

- Donate funds

- Volunteer to sort and distribute socks

- Spread the word via Facebook, Twitter and word of mouth!

Visit http://www.hannahssocks.org/ to learn more about how your family can join the Hannah’s Socks Holiday Sock Drive this year!

Twitter: www.twitter.com/hannahssocks (tweet using the hashtag #HannahsSocks)

Facebook: www.facebook.com/hannahssocks

"P.S. Thanks to Mom Central for sharing this terrific cause with me!" -Susan Heim

Thanks to Susan Heim (Twitter @ParentingAuthor) for sharing this information!

Friday, October 30, 2009

Sue Scheff: Kids Email - Keeping Kids Safe Online


KidsEmail.org is a safe email service for kids and families. Your kids can now have a safe email account while allowing parents to be aware of any correspondence their children send and receive.
You supervise your children when they go outside to play. Do you know who is contacting your child inside of your home?
Learn more at www.KidsEmail.org

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Sue Scheff: In the Driver's Seat: A Girl's Guide to Her First Car


By Erika Stadler
Women make up more than half of the drivers on the road, but most girls still don t know the difference between a lug nut and a dipstick.
This engaging, comprehensive, and entertaining guide teaches girls to get intimate with their four-wheeled friends.Includes info on: buying and insuring a car, fixing minor problems, learning what s under the hood, choosing a mechanic, surviving emergency situations, and styling your ride.
Order on Amazon today.
Plus: Fun sidebars and statistics about women behind the wheel!

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Sue Scheff: Champions Against Bullying


Today I was introduced to an organization dedicated to help prevent bullying. Champions Against Bullying offers tips, resources, workshops and more to help educate people about bullying.

I encourage you to visit their website and read their valuable information and view their engaging illustrations.
About Champions Against Bullying
"Learning is impaired, when children are scared."
Welcome from the team at Champions Against Bullying (CAB). We’re so happy you stopped by. Please join us as we continue to meet and greet the challenges of change with a fresh approach that covers school bullying/youth violence from A to Z.

Working together presents us with greater possibilities of restoring safety in our communities and widening our children’s circle of opportunity – tomorrow’s leaders.
Follow them on Twitter at @C_A_B_

Monday, October 26, 2009

Sue Scheff: 29 Gifts - How A Month of Giving Can Change Your Life


By Cami Walker
What a fantastic book to be released at this time of the year, but also all year round!
At age thirty-five, Cami Walker was burdened by a battle with multiple sclerosis, a chronic neurological condition that made it difficult for her to walk, work, or enjoy her life. Seeking a remedy for her depression after being hospitalized, she received an uncommon prescription from an African medicine woman: Give to others for 29 days.

29 Gifts is the insightful story of the author’s life change as she embraces and reflects on the naturally reciprocal process of giving and receiving. Many of Walker’s gifts were simple —a phone call, spare change, a Kleenex. Yet the acts were transformative. By Day 29, not only had Walker’s health and happiness improved, but she had created a worldwide giving movement.

The book also includes personal essays from others whose lives changed for the better by giving, plus pages for the reader to record their own journey. More than a memoir, 29 Gifts offers inspiring lessons on how a simple daily practice of altruism can dramatically alter your outlook on the world.
Order on Amazon today!

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Sue Scheff: I Promised Not to Tell (A Story of Courage)


Abby is a little girl that is being abused by her father. She is very scared and confused and hesitates telling her teachers about what is happening at home, especially because her father is also physically abusing her mother. After working up the courage to tell her teacher, Abby meets Ms. Rogers, a caseworker who talks to her, as well as the school counselor, Ms. Billings. Together, they find a way to help Abby get out of her situation and live with other family members in a safer, loving environment. This book is an invaluable tool in helping children learn about abusive relationships and knowing when to seek help.
Kara T. Tamanini is a licensed mental health counselor and works as a child/adolescent psychotherapist in a Christian counseling center. She plans to expand her website, www.kidsawarenessseries.com by writing more articles and books to help children and adults learn about issues relating to abuse and mental health. She lives with her husband and daughter in Bartow, Florida.
Follow Kara Tamanini on Twitter at @KidTherapist and visit http://www.kidsawarenessseries.com/
Order on Amazon today.

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Sue Scheff: Four Year Colleges 2010 (Peterson's Guide)


This valuable resource includes information on every accredited four-year undergraduate institution in the U.S. and Canada- nearly 2,500 institutions all-together! It also includes detailed two-page descriptions written by admissions personnel for nearly 1,000 colleges. College bound students and their parents will be able to research colleges and universities with access to details cover setting; enrollment; entrance level; academic programs and degrees awarded; entrance requirements and application procedures; tuition, fees, and housing costs; students/faculty ratios and campus life; and contact information.
Order today on Amazon.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Sue Scheff: Conversations with Moms - Glowing Review of Google Bomb Book


Recently I was interviewed by Maria Melo, Conversatons with Moms, about my latest book, Google Bomb. She wrote an outstanding review, which I am very excited about. Maria decided Google Bomb deserved a two part series, as many know now, learning to protect yourself and your family online has become a priority as the Internet expands and the regulations don’t.

Here is a section of Part 1, and please take the time to read my interview with Maria in Part 2.
Google Bomb Review – The Untold Story of the $11.3M Verdict

When I first started being active on the internet, I was very naive to the Internet World. I’ve learned a lot in the past year and thought that I truly understood the power of the internet. Until I read, “Google™ Bomb”.

Lets just say that I now feel as though I lived in a cave. I was totally unaware of the true power and damage that the internet can do. I don’t know where I was in 2006 to not have heard of the landmark internet case that won Sue Scheff $11.3 million for defamation of character. The only thing I can think of is that I wasn’t active online and didn’t really pay attention to what happened in the internet world.

When I was asked to review this book, I was curious as to find out what could have happened to Sue to make her have won such a large lawsuit. I had never heard of the term Google™ Bomb and thought it would be an informative read. I HAD NO IDEA JUST HOW MUCH I WOULD LEARN.

I was happy to provide this review if only to spread the word of how vicious the internet could be and in hopes of getting the word out that there are simple things you can do to protect yourself.

READ THE ENTIRE REVIEW AND INTERVIEW HERE.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Sue Scheff: Generation Me: Why Today's Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled--and More Miserable Than Ever Before



Generation Me: Why Today's Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled--and More Miserable Than Ever Before


By: Jean M. Twenge, Ph.D.



Who is part of Generation Me?

Generation Me describes anyone born in the 1970s, 1980s, or 1990s -- in 2006, this means people between the ages of 7 and 36. These are today's young people, those who take it for granted that the self comes first. I'm a member of this generation myself, born in 1971.


How is Generation Me different from previous generations, especially from the "Me generation" of the 1970s?

Baby Boomers were sometimes called the "Me generation" in the 1970s, but this was a premature and brief label: Boomers did not discover the self until young adulthood, and even then did everything in groups, from protests to seminars like est. Generation Me has never known a world that put duty before self, and believes that the needs of the individual should come first. This is not the same thing as being selfish – it is captured, instead, in the phrases we so often hear: "Be yourself," "Believe in yourself," "You must love yourself before you can love someone else." These are some of our culture's most deeply entrenched beliefs, and Generation Me has grown up hearing them whispered in our ears like the subliminally conditioned children in Aldous Huxley's Brave New World.


How is this book different from other books on generations?

In short, because it has hard data on how the generations really differ. Most books on generations throw around ideas about social trends and pop culture, but don't have much data on the actual characteristics of people from different generations. This book has the data -- it summarizes thirteen years of my research on the responses of 1.3 million young people. I found research reports on children and college students who completed questionnaires measuring everything from anxiety to sexual behavior. Many of these questionnaires have been used since the 1950s or 1960s, allowing me to see how today's young people differ from Baby Boomers and previous generations. Every chapter is built around a research result, with lots of pop culture analysis and examples to bring the differences to life. To find out more about how I collected this data, click here.


What is the book about?

We live in a time when high self-esteem is encouraged from childhood, when young people have more freedom and independence than ever, but also far more depression, anxiety, cynicism, and loneliness. Today's young people have been raised to aim for the stars at a time when it is more difficult than ever to get into college, find a good job, and afford a house. Their expectations are very high just as the world is becoming more competitive, so there's a huge clash between their expectations and reality. More than any other generation in history, the children of Baby Boomers are disappointed by what they find when they arrive at adulthood. Generation Me will give Boomers new insight into their offspring, and help those in their teens, twenties, and thirties finally make sense of their generation.


I was born after 1981. What is my generation called?

No one knows yet. The previous generation (born 1961-1981) is usually called "Generation X," and this label is well-established. The post-1981 generation has been called "Gen Y," but give me a break – who wants to be named after the people older than you? "Baby Busters," an early label for GenX, never caught on for that reason. Writers William Strauss and Neil Howe use the label "Millennials" for post-1981 people, but that seems kind of out now that we're not worrying about Y2K. Generation Me could become the label, though it's meant more as a description.

I propose that the 1981-1999 generation be called iGeneration, or iGen. This generation has been profoundly shaped by technology, including the Internet (which is what the "i" stands for in "iMac") and of course iPods. The "i" also captures the essence of my description of Generation Me: it can stand for the first person singular or be "i" for individual. You heard it here first.

Order today on Amazon!

Monday, October 19, 2009

Sue Scheff: No Idle Hands - Keeping Your Teens Busy


Visit www.NoIdleHands.org

Our Mission: To minimize exposure to acts of violence faced by inner city youth of Chicago by engaging and increasing their awareness to positive, productive, and entertaining activities taking place in their community.


Our Vision: Within the next three years, No Idle Hands will become the main distribution channel of youth event info utilized by organizations, churches and educators comprising more then one hundred thousand subscribers to its newsletter.

Need to be addressed: This organization wishes to address the high crime rate in the Chicago-land area among the youth. The idea is that if they are kept busy, they will be less likely to cause crimes or become victims of them. At this point, the level of success this project will have cannot be determined. Conversely we do know that without it, a record number of Chicago Public School children have become victims to violence over the past year.

Organization Activities/Programs: Initially, No Idle Hands will not be organizing activities but will focus on advertising the activities/programs of the numerous other organizations around the Chicago-land area. No Idle Hands seeks to be the central depository for all upcoming youth aimed events and programs. Through a regularly published newsletter and online calendar, we intend to keep educators, parents and youth informed of all the many outstanding and positive activities at their disposal. Organizations, churches, etc, will be able to go to the website and enter in all their respective event details to be added to the calendar. Individuals will also be encouraged to sign up for the newsletter in which we will advertise upcoming events and solicit participation.

Community: Our focus and resources will be used to work with organizations, churches, etc, that serve the city of Chicago. We will put an emphasis on their involvement in making this online calendar and newsletter a success. However, communities outside Chicago will be welcome to participate as well.

Friday, October 16, 2009

Sue Scheff: The Entitlement-Free Child


Raising confident and responsible kids in a "me, mine, now!" culture

In a world of quick fixes and instant gratification, The Entitlement-Free Child is your essential resource for how and when to say no, how and when to praise, how to handle age-appropriate challenges, and how to set reasonable expectations—all while maintaining unconditional love.
Expert advice for the newest and most in-demand parenting hot-button issue. Parenting expert Karen Deerwester offers hundreds of practical strategies and hands-on tips to guide you through today's confusing parenting situations at home and in public, including:

Cell phones
Eating out
Birthday parties
Bossiness
Teacher conflicts
Allowances
Bickering siblings
Dinnertime demands

Put an end to the stubbornness, disrespect, and social problems now by giving your child the resourcefulness to get what she needs and the confidence to respect the needs of others. The Entitlement-Free Child is the new essential resource for 21st-century parenting. Unlock your child's potential today!
Order on Amazon today!

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Sue Scheff: Kid Reviews by Kids!


Lane Sutton is hitting the National trail as Kid Critic USA!

Are you a children's author or young adult author? Have your book reviewed by a the Kid Critic!

Do you have a product, toy, service, video game you are marketing to kids? Have the Kid Critic review it for you!

Do you have a summer camp to be reviewed? Yes, Kid Critic is interested!

All things kids - and he is there for you! Holiday's are coming, get your marketing done by the very people you will be giving to - kids!

What does this cost you? Nothing! Simply contact Lane@KidCriticUSA.com and tell him about your item, and see if he has an interest in reviewing it. You will get a written review and it all goes viral. With a solid following on Twitter, Lane will get your good news out there.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Sue Scheff: Your Body Image - End Fat Talk - Take the Pledge


Fat Talk Free® Week (Oct 19 – 23, 2009) is an international, 5-day body activism campaign that draws attention to body image issues and the damaging impact of the thin ideal on women in society. This annual public awareness effort was borne from Tri Delta’s award-winning body image education and eating disorders prevention program, Reflections: Body Image Program™.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Sue Scheff: Teenage Learning Products


This website not only has educational articles for parenting your kids in today's generation, they offer some terrific products to stimulate and teach your kids/teens many of today's questions about relationships, peer pressure and more.
Teenage Edition Conversation Cards:
Communication is the number one way to keep your teenager happy and healthy. Talking to your teen will open doors for both of you and strengthen your relationship. Working with TV star, author and top teen coach Sarah Newton, Fink™ brings you a controversial pack of questions, headlines, statistics and statements that are guaranteed to get you and your teen talking!

Topics include: Sex and Relationships, Health & Emotions, Citizenship, Drugs and Substances and Education.
Follow Sarah Newton on Twitter @SarahNewton

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Sue Scheff: Michigan NUTRITION Network



Mission of the Michigan Nutrition Network

The Michigan Nutrition Network fosters multidisciplinary, community-based, public-private collaboration to build and strengthen alliances focused on nutrition and physical activity. MNN facilitates the development of effective, high quality nutrition and physical activity initiatives that reach Michigan consumers - with a special focus on reaching those with low income.
Visit http://www.mnn.fcs.msue.msu.edu/ for more valuable information.
You can follow Michigan Nutrition Network on Twitter @MiNutrition

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Sue Scheff: Kidlutions - Solutions for Kids





Kidlutions is a great resource whether you are looking for educational articles, parenting tips, or great gift ideas for kids! Visit them today at http://www.kidlutions.com/index.html

Our Mission

Our mission is to provide all children with a sense of success in handling whatever problems come their way. We know that in life, success is not the absence of problems, but the ability to deal with them.

We help kids (and the big people who care about them) deal with behavioral and emotional issues before they get larger than life. Our products help to build the emotional intelligence in children, which we know is the best predictor of happiness in life. Kidlutions™ brings a new dimension to parenting, teaching and caregiving.

About Us

Each Kidlutions™ product has been developed and testedby a mom who is also an award-winning child and family therapist. Wendy Young, LMSW, BCD, founder of Kidlutions™, graduated Summa Cum Laude from Michigan State University's Clinical Social Work program and is a Board Certified Diplomate. Her children are ages 8, 11 and 13. She maintains a private practice in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and consults to various programs. Systems with which she has been involved include:

Family Forum, Inc. - Head Start and Early Head Start
Gogebic-Ontonagon - Head Start and Early Head Start
Bad River Head Start
Luther L. Wright Middle School/High School
GOCAA - Community Action Agency
Michigan Department of Human Services
Western Upper Peninsula Substance Abuse Services
Caring Home Health/Grand View Hospital
Gogebic-Ontonagon Intermediate School District
University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh

Her writing has appeared in:

Family Fun Magazine
Chicken Soup for the Soul Books
Woman's World Magazine
The Next Step Magazine
The Master Teacher
Michigan's Wonder Years
Various Newspapers

In addition to writing, Wendy is a sought after trainer for behavioral and mental health concerns of childhood. Her interests include behavior management, helping caregivers and teachers deal more effectively with challenging/difficult children, the impact of temperament on behavior, and infant and maternal mental health.

Follow Wendy on Twitter @Kidlutions

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Sue Scheff: STOMP OUT BULLYING - Cati Cares


Check out Cati Grant, founder of Cati Cares and helping promote STOMP OUT BULLYING.
Cati successfully had over 2500 kids wearing a Blue Shirt for October 5th in bringing awareness to bullying and it has to stop.
Read more about Cati Grant in her recent interview with me. Click here.

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Sue Scheff: Scream Free Parenting


Scream Free Parenting
Raising Your Kids by Keeping Your Cool
Emotional reactivity is behind every bad pattern, bad decision, and bad relationship. Whether we scream, cut ourselves off, overcompensate for others, or take things personally, end up creating the very outcomes we were hoping to avoid.

That's why we think that the number one step toward creating the types of relationships we truly crave is learning to calm down.

ScreamFree Parenting offers a revolutionary new option by inviting parents to focus on themselves, grow themselves up, and calm themselves down. The ScreamFree Parenting principles will lead parents of all ages (with kids of all ages) to create and enjoy the family relationships they've always craved.
Order today on Amazon.

Friday, October 2, 2009

Sue Scheff: Love Your Body, Love Your Life: 5 Steps to End Negative Body Obsession and Start Living Happily and Confidently


Love Your Body, Love Your Life: 5 Steps to End Negative Body Obsession and Start Living Happily and Confidently
Eating disorders. Steroids. Plastic Surgery.We’ll do anything to look better—and yet we still feel bad about how we look. Self-loathing has reached epidemic proportions. But there is a way to end self-destructive thoughts and behavior. In this book, noted body-image expert Sarah Maria presents her proven five-step plan anyone can use to overcome negative body obsession (NBO).
She helps you:
Commit to change
Identify and detach from negative thoughts
Discover who you really are
Befriend your body
Find your purpose
Love your body, love your life
Complete with exercises, case studies, and testimonials, you can learn how to stop obsessing over food and your body and achieve permanent peace with both. You’ll banish NBO forever, and feel healthy, radiant, beautiful, and desirable—every day!
Order at Amazon today.

Sue Scheff: Secrets Stolen, Fortunes Lost


Secrets Stolen, Fortunes Lost
By Christopher Burgess and Richard Power
Secrets Stolen, Fortunes Lost offers both a fascinating journey into the underside of the Information Age, geopolitics, and global economy, shedding new light on corporate hacking, industrial espionage, counterfeiting and piracy, organized crime and related problems, and a comprehensive guide to developing a world-class defense against these threats.
You will learn what you need to know about this dynamic global phenomenon (how it happens, what it costs, how to build an effective program to mitigate risk and how corporate culture determines your success), as well as how to deliver the message to the boardroom and the workforce as a whole. This book serves as an invaluable reservoir of ideas and energy to draw on as you develop a winning security strategy to overcome this formidable challenge.
You can follow author Christopher Burgess on Twitter @BurgessCT
Order on Amazon today! During National Cyber Safety Awareness Month, this is a must read book.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Sue Scheff: National Cyber Safety Awareness Month



October is National Cyber Safety Awareness Month.



This is a great time to put together a list of great websites and resources to help you become an educated parent as well as helping your kids and teens to surf safely.



Over the past few months, I have written articles on Cyber Safety and how you can protect yourself and your family.



In August I released my recent book, Google Bomb! The Untold Story of the $11.3M Verdict Changed the Way We Use the Internet, which has received high praises and fantastic reviews.
Here is a small sample of some excellent articles, websites and services to help you be an educated parent. An educated parent leads to a safer child/teen online. Isn’t your child worth it? Take the time to learn more.



Articles for your review:



Internet image: Tips to maintain your virtual profile and resume


Do you know what Google is saying about you?


What is a Google Bomb?


Social Web Tips for TeensSocial Web Tips for Parents


Parenting Teens and cell phone tips


Teen Internet Addiction


Internet Safety and Guidance Counselors


Internet Safety and Internet Predators



Websites to review:



iKeepSafe.org
Love Our Children USA
Cyber Patrol iLookBothWays
Web Wise Kids
Cati Cares
Connect Safely
Mothers Against Predators
YourSphere



Services and books promoting Online Safety



ReputationDefender/MyChild


PG KeyGoogle Bomb Book – by John W. Dozier Jr. and Sue Scheff


Look Both Ways – by Linda Criddle


Secrets Stolen, Fortunes Lost – by Christopher Burgess and Richard Power


Cyber Safety Book – by Ken Knapton



As an author and Parent Advocate, I always encourage parents to put aside time to know what your kids/teens are doing in cyberspace. Teach them about the importance of what they post today, may haunt them tomorrow.

Also on Examiner.com




For more info: National Cyber Safety Awareness website.