Sue Scheff Books, Websites, Resources and More!

lol....OMG!: What Every Student Needs to Know About Online Reputation Management, Digital Citizenship and Cyberbullying

2012-01-29T05:31:00.000-08:00

By Matt Ivester

The ease with which digital content can be shared online, in addition to its many benefits, has created a host of problems for today’s high school and college students. All too often, students are uploading, updating, posting and publishing without giving a second thought to who might see their content or how it might be perceived.

lol…OMG! provides a cautionary look at the many ways that today’s students are experiencing the unanticipated negative consequences of their digital decisions – from lost job opportunities and denied college and graduate school admissions to full-blown national scandals.

It also examines how technology is allowing students to bully one another in new and disturbing ways, and why students are often crueler online than in person. By using real-life case studies and offering actionable strategies and best practices, this book empowers students to clean up and maintain a positive online presence, and to become responsible digital citizens.

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Dear Dr. Wes: Real Life Advice for Teens

2012-01-27T06:51:00.000-08:00

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This is a unique book of advice and commentary for teenagers, co-written by teenagers. It combines Dr. Wes Crenshaw’s nineteen years of clinical experience as a board certified family psychologist with the natural wisdom and empathy of eight really sharp sixteen- to eighteen-year-olds, each of whom spent a year writing for the Double Take advice column.

Though humorous and entertaining in tone, the book offers serious, honest and practical advice on real world issues including: sex, contraception, pregnancy, sexual identity, mental health, cutting, falling in love, breaking up, friendship, divorce, the future, conflict with parents, teen technology, suicide, foster care, school success and failure, fear and hope, and all the other issues you wake up and face each day in the middle and high school years. Most of the advice was written in response to letters sent to ask www.dr-wes.com, many written by teenagers themselves.

The rest were written on topics selected by the authors based on teen trends and current events. In addition to specific suggestions on each problem, the authors share their thoughts on how the world influences your generation, and vice versa. Order this book today on Amazon.

Be sure to have your parents check out: Dear Dr. Wes: Real Life Advice for Parents of Teens.

Education Matters

2012-01-21T05:05:00.000-08:00

Call me “Ed Matters.” I am a professional educator, literacy tutor, and education advocate for students with mental health concerns and other disabilities. My background includes three years’ teaching experience; a B.A. in English; an M.A. in Instruction; an A.A.S. in legal studies; volunteer work in the legal and public service arena; a brief stint in higher education administration; professional development in the areas of mental health and disabilities, including training in LSCI and CPI, involvement with MACMH as a family catalyst, and training from Heather Forbes (Beyond Consequences) and Bryan Post (BC and Post Institute). I am also a member of my local district’s PBIS committee.

I try to stay informed regarding legal issues affecting education and have completed coursework in school law; I keep abreast of issues regarding children’s mental health in general, especially concerning pediatric bipolar disorder and autism spectrum disorders, and I am informed regarding PBIS and mental health issues in the school. As I am located in Minnesota, I am most familiar with what is happening in my state and am most certainly not an expert on everything. There will likely be a “Midwestern flavor” to the blog with most information coming from surrounding states.

While my primary focus here will be regarding promising practices for schools especially in the areas of mental health, PBIS, and literacy–the areas in which I am most qualified to comment–I will provide some legal updates; links to interesting articles, and I am open to and will include discussion on a variety of topics involving education. The primary purpose is to inform; however, debate is encouraged, and I do have my own biases. I hope this space will become a well-visited and useful resource.

One disclaimer: While I have substantive legal training with extensive experience researching and writing legal briefs, I am not an attorney and cannot give legal advice. Any advice given is not intended to be construed as professional legal advice or a substitute for seeking counsel from a licensed attorney.

You can follow Ed on Twitter and his Blog.

Be Brave....for those hurt by another

2012-01-17T06:57:00.000-08:00

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By Karen Rochester

“Every single person on the planet has to be brave at least once in their life, no matter who they are, how old they are, or how strong they are. Being brave is about having the courage to do the best thing, even when it’s hard and especially when you’re scared to do it." from 'Be Brave'.

‘Be Brave’ is a book of encouragement, understanding, learning to trust and bravery. The book explains to readers (suggested ages 8 yrs +) that if they have been hurt by another person at some time in their lives, they may experience a wide range of thoughts, emotions and behaviours that can be very difficult to manage. The book explains that although these reactions maybe scary, they are normal when someone has been hurt this way.

Using simple language and concepts, children (and adults) are able to relate to the thoughts, feelings and emotions being described. ‘Be Brave’ doesn’t specify the trauma type thus allowing the reader to apply their own feelings and reactions to the text and their particular set of circumstances.

‘Be Brave’ speaks to the reader directly as they consciously and unconsciously apply their own experiences to the narrative. Readers see themselves being described in the text and become more aware of some of their own emotions and behaviours that have resulted from experiences where they have been hurt. The book then directly applies understanding to their situation and helps them to realise that although it takes a lot of courage to seek help, they can do it if they are brave enough. This is the central message.

Obviously, there are many different ways to get help in a given situation, so ‘Be Brave’ assists the reader by helping them understand that there are various avenues for them to take to find the help they need and at the same time as encouraging them to do this, applies constant understanding and empathy for the reader’s individual situation.

‘Be Brave’ is a very unique book and should be in the hands of every child, parent, teacher, carer and school counsellor, as well as children's mentors, therapists, psychologists and medical professionals. It is also beautifully and sensitively illustrated by Kat Chadwick.

“This book has the potential to empower many people, both children and adults, to finally disclose secrets that may have paralysed them for years and allow them to start on their own journey of healing and recovery. Highly recommended” - Anne Macdonald, Clinical Psychologist

For more information visit www.bebravebook.com and for sales inquiries please contact the publisher Jojo Publishing www.jojopublishing.com

The Humanist Approach to Happiness

2012-01-13T11:58:00.000-08:00

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The Humanist Approach to Happiness was written as a way to encourage young people to think about and discuss their personal ethics and values in the context of every day decision making. In other words, how can they be the best most ethical person they can be.

How can and why should they be ethical with their friends? What values should they be considering when they are deciding whether or not to try drugs and to drink alcohol? How and why should we be ethical while dating, and breaking up? How can we apply our values to ourselves when we are grieving? And most importantly, why all this matters.

The best way to use this book is to read a chapter and discuss it's contents with your child. What do you agree with? What advice do you disagree with and why? The best way to prepare your child to think through ethical dilemnas on their own is to encourage them to think for themselves by asking them questions and playing devil's advocate with them. Remember, you and your child don't have to agree with what is in the book. It is only a starting point for your discussions about how you as their parent have chosen to live your life and how your child might want to start thinking about how they want to live theirs.

The overarching theme of the book is that your actions have consequences, so choose your actions wisely. The primary question you and your child should be asking is, what do I think the consequences of my actions will be in any given situation and do I want that consequence or not? What could I do different to get a better outcome?

To learn more and to read what other parents and experts are saying about the book visit: http://happiness.jen-hancock.com/parents.html

You can follow author Jennifer Hancock on Twitter and order your copy today from Amazon!

Teen Talk: Adolescent Counseling Services

2012-01-11T15:59:00.000-08:00

Adolescent Counseling Services (ACS), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to empower teens and their families in our community to realize their emotional and social potential through counseling and preventive education, launched the “Teen Talk” blog in December 2008. This blog was created to provide a resource and education piece for parents and community members about teen mental health.

Other education resources available from ACS include the booklet, “99 Tips for Talking With Your Teenager.” First published in 2006, 99 Tips is a guide for improving communication and building positive relationships with adolescents. You can request a complimentary copy of the booklet or download an electronic copy in English or Spanish.

Since 1975, ACS has helped over 35,000 teenagers and families in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties, offering a range of services that include counseling, substance abuse treatment and preventive education in the community.

Follow them on Twitter and be sure to follow their Teen Talk Blog!

Notes on Parenting

2012-01-06T09:26:00.000-08:00

Notes on Parenting Blog

This blog is dedicated to providing insights for parenting babies, toddlers, teens, and young adults. We attempt to integrate both research and experience-based information into our posts. This blog is written for all parents, although some posts may reflect the values of the authors. We invite all to comment and become involved in the discussions about our posts.

Learn more at http://www.parentsareimportant.com/ about parenting kids from toddlers to teens!

You can follow them on Twitter and join them on Facebook.

Stop Child Abuse and Sex Crimes

2012-01-02T12:32:00.000-08:00

Stacey Honowitz

"Sex crimes know no boundaries. It's black, it's white, it's Catholic, it's Jewish." - Stacey Honowitz

Stacey Honowitz has been a prosecutor for 24 years in the Broward State Attorneys Office, and has indicted, and tried many high profile cases involving all aspects of child sexual abuse, and physical abuse as well as all adult rape cases. As a prosecutor she realizes that the most important aspect of the job is being able to communicate to the children the notion that "it's not their fault", and they should feel comfortable talking to both investigators and prosecutors about the sexual abuse.

When it comes to the adult rape cases, she strives to let victims know that coming forward and following through will benefit them long term, and being in this field of the law you take on a duel role, as both an advocate and a therapist The role is not only to punish to the fullest extent of the law, but to able to comfort the child during a difficult time in their lives. More importantly Stacey enjoys being on the lecture circuit, sharing her knowledge of sex crimes, navigating the criminal justice systems, investigating sex crimes and prosecuting in the courtroom. Her lectures also focus on "how to talk to your children" and the importance of frank and open discussions between parents and children about possible sex crimes and what to do if they ever become victims.

Stacey is available for speaking engagements focusing on Child Sex Crimes, how to discuss sex abuse with your children, adult rape cases, investigations for child pornography, navigating the criminal justice system and the medias role in high profile cases. Contact her - click here.

As the fastest growing crime in the country, Child Sexual Abuse is a national problem. "My Privates are Private" and "Genius with a Penis: Don't Touch" aim to help parents educate their children in a fun and comfortable way. Both books Stacey Honowitz authored to help educate parents, teachers and children to better understand this ugly crime that is despicable.

Stacey Honowitz has appeared regularly on CNN, MSNBC, Headline News, FOX News as a Legal Analyst and has been featured on Dateline NBC, CBS News 48 Hours, and Good Morning.

Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving: Prevent Underage Driving

2011-12-30T07:41:00.000-08:00

Buzzed driving is drunk driving. Getting behind the wheel after even just one too many drinks can lead to disaster.

Show your support to end buzzed driving by pledging to make good decisions by not driving under the influence of alcohol. Take the time to share the pledge with others and with your help, we can end buzzed driving.

Take the pledge - click here.

Join Buzzed Driving on Facebook and follow them on Twitter for updated statistics.

Cybertraps for the Young

2011-12-27T14:34:00.000-08:00

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By Frederick S. Lane

We teach knife and appliance safety in home economics; we teach gun safety as a prerequisite for a hunting license; auto safety in driver’s education; and the dangers of sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies in sex ed. The Internet’s potential for misuse, whether through a computer or a mobile phone, is at least as profound as a chef’s knife, a Camaro, or a .22, but our efforts to educate children about Internet safety are far more sporadic and less thorough.

Approaching the risks for children on the Internet in a thought-provoking and intellectual manner, this study skillfully integrates contemporary news reports and disturbing legal cases to show how Facebook and other ready-made forums for information exchange are breaking down boundaries of privacy and facilitating a growing number of criminal convictions for cyberbullying, child pornography, hacking, and copyright infringement.

Also included is a discussion of how the widespread use of camera phones, mobile tablets, and social media sites has given rise to a new and dangerous practice among teens: sexting. This reference provides parents with an authoritative lesson in cyberethics and practical instructions for instituting household internet policies, as well as school officials and communities with lessons on how to educate children about the responsible use of emerging mobile technologies.

Order on Amazon today and learn more here.

Tobacco Free Florida: Make 2012 Your Year to Get Healthy!

2011-12-21T09:00:00.000-08:00

Tobacco Free Florida knows quitting can be very hard, but it's not impossible. In fact, there are more former smokers than current smokers in Florida.

With the right help, resources and the support to keep you going, Tobacco Free Florida can give you the best chance to quit for good. For each person, overcoming nicotine addiction is different and we can help you choose a path to quitting that works for you.

About Tobacco Free Florida:

In November 2006, Florida's voters overwhelmingly approved a state constitutional amendment, Article X, Section 27, that called for reinstating a tobacco education and use prevention program. This program, Tobacco Free Florida (TFF), is a comprehensive effort to reduce tobacco use in the state.

TFF is administered through the Florida Department of Health's Bureau of Tobacco Prevention Program (BTPP), and funded by money derived from the tobacco settlement agreement with the major tobacco companies. The program today operates with an annual budget of roughly $65 million (15 percent of the tobacco trust fund), which is allocated by the legislature to prevent youth from starting to use tobacco and to provide tobacco cessation services, infrastructure and marketing efforts.

TFF shares its message through a comprehensive media campaign aimed at decreasing the number of tobacco users in the state through efforts to prevent non-users from starting to use tobacco and to encourage current users to quit. This message is critical to educate and change social behavior related to tobacco use in Florida, where each year more than 28,000 Floridians die from smoking and tobacco-related diseases cost the state an estimated $19.6 billion in healthcare costs and lost productivity.

Learn more - visit www.tobaccofreeflorida.com.

If You Loved Me You'd Stop

2011-12-17T09:27:00.000-08:00

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If You Loved Me, You'd Stop!

By Lisa Frederiksen

What You Really Need To Know When Your Loved One Drinks Too Much combines the most current brain research on alcoholism and alcohol abuse with Lisa Frederiksen's 40 years experience in dealing with these family problems.

By explaining this research from the perspective of someone who has personally survived the ravages of a loved one's drinking, Ms. Frederiksen offers fresh hope for the more than 50 percent of Americans (and the one in four children) who have a family member with a drinking problem.

Though it is a slim volume at 120 pages, this book nevertheless addresses a host of issues surrounding alcoholism and alcohol abuse, including co-addictions, DUIs (DWIs), underage drinking, dual diagnosis, codependency, and, importantly, the characteristics that distinguish alcoholism from alcohol abuse (excessive drinking). The book also contains numerous appendices containing references and suggestions for each issue addressed in the book. Frederiksen's book targets those who know their loved one drinks too much and believe that if they can just get them to stop, life will return to "normal."

The target markets also include pediatricians, internists, domestic violence center employees and volunteers, mental health professionals, alcoholics, alcohol abusers, law and public policy makers, treatment center personnel, family law attorneys and child protective services personnel. As a reviewed author and nationally-recognized speaker, Ms. Frederiksen plans to use her influence to not only inspire individual readers, but also to change the national culture of denial that allows the problem of alcoholism and alcohol abuse to continue plaguing families. Just as new research and grassroots action made bike helmets, children's car seats, and no smoking signs commonplace, so too can attitudes and social assumptions about drinking be changed to create a healthier environment for everyone.

To that end, Ms. Frederiksen has launched her website breakingthecycles.com to start a dialog to shift (and in cases simply start) the conversations around these important issues.

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St. Gerard's Campus in St. Augustine

2011-12-10T08:29:00.000-08:00

Let's face it, teen pregnancy is not an ideal situation however it happens.

Parenting is never easy, whether there is one parent or two involved, it is expensive and the cost is not only financial, but emotional.

St. Gerard, located in St. Augustine, has been helping young pregnant women and girls since 1981.

St. Gerard Campus rescues girls and provides guidance to help them avoid poverty, dependency, and welfare. They learn to cope with difficult situations, rise above those difficulties, and grow to be nurturing mothers, productive members of society, and a positive force in the workplace.

In their 30 years open, they have mentored over 48,000 mothers and supported the birth of almost 31,000 babies.

The holidays are a time to give. Take the time to be a part of our community outreach, stop by and donate what you can.
Here is a list of some of the items they need:

Food
Formula
Diapers
Adult's and children's clothing
Maternity clothes
Baby clothing
Cribs and bassinets
Infant seats
Car seats
Bouncy seats
Carriages
Strollers
High chairs
Dressers
Furniture and household items such as curtains, bedspreads, couches, tables, etc.

If your not located in St. Augustine, be sure to find a local charity to give to, especially at this time of the year. There are so many people, especially young children that need our help.

Indigo Teen Dreams: Guided Relaxation Techniques Designed to Decrease Stress, Anger and Anxiety while Increasing Self-esteem and Self-awareness

2011-12-06T05:32:00.000-08:00

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Indigo Teen Dreams: Guided Relaxation Techniques Designed to Decrease Stress, Anger and Anxiety while Increasing Self-esteem and Self-awareness

By Lori Lite, Leading Expert in Stress Relief

Indigo Teen Dreams allows teens to manage stress, anger, and anxiety while increasing self-esteem and self-awareness. Teens explore the research-based, stress-management techniques of breathing, visualizations, progressive muscular relaxation, and affirmations or positive statements.

This straight forward, easy to follow approach encourages teens to take charge of their own feelings and stress. It provides a safe place where teens can be themselves while not worrying about peer pressure or living up to any ones expectations. The male narrator is motivating, encouraging and soothing at the same time! Additional uplifting music sound tracks are provided to further enhance their relaxation experience. Teens are encouraged to make good choices and believe in themselves while managing stress and anger. Great for teens entering Middle School through High School.

Order today - click here.

Stress Free Kids

2011-12-05T09:38:00.000-08:00

Lori Lite, Founder of Stress Free Kids

Stress Free Kids® founder Lori Lite has created a line of books and CDs designed to help children, teens and adults reduce stress, anxiety & anger. As a parent, bedtime meant two stressed filled hours trying to get our young son to sleep. Our daughter developed stress related night terrors and Lori herself became sick from anxiety. In an effort to help our own family, Lori created stories that would entertain our children while introducing research-based relaxation and stress management techniques.

Our books and CDs will teach you and your children how to manage stress by using the proven techniques of deep breathing, progressive muscular relaxation, visualizations, and affirmations/positive statements. This unique storytelling format has been embraced by psychologists, doctors, child life care specialists, yoga instructors, teachers, counselors, parents, and most importantly… children.

Our relaxation music CDs and bedtime stories give you a variety of tools to make bedtime and stress management easy, available, and fun.

We are also proud to support our military families as well as our special needs community.
Our blog/articles, newsletter, and resources offer stress tips and information on the mental health challenges facing our children and teens. We are active with Facebook and Twitter.

Kids are Heroes

2011-11-29T14:56:00.000-08:00

Kids Are Heroes^® is a non-profit that empowers, encourages and inspires children to become leaders through volunteerism and community involvement. We do this by showcasing and supporting children who are making a difference through their selfless acts of giving.

We teach children to follow their passions at an early age. This will instinctively stay with them throughout their entire lives.

Kids are indeed heroes and each one has the power to change the world.

To see how kids are making a huge impact, and to see how YOU can become a hero, click on "Meet the Heroes".

Our kids are drilling water wells in Africa, helping orphans in India and building homes in Haiti. They are recycling and cleaning up their neighborhoods, helping their local animal shelters and making life better for their neighbors. And guess what? They are ALL just like YOU!

Visit www.KidsAreHeroes.org and learn more!

Detached: Surviving Reactive Attachment Disorder

2011-11-26T06:14:00.000-08:00

By Jessie Hogsett

DETACHED! SURVIVING REACTIVE ATTACHMENT DISORDER is the true story of a young boy who never "attached" or "bonded" with his alcoholic mother. He felt unloved, uncared for, unsafe, sad, lonely and extremely angry. As he grew up, he, like most Reactive Attachment Disordered kids, acted out, exhibiting severely antisocial, even violent, behavior. You'll travel back in time to view a young child's life through his own eyes. You'll see an innocent boy become a severely emotionally disturbed teen. Then, against all odds, you'll read about miracles few ever thought possible.

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Not Under My Roof: Parents, Teachers, and the Culture of Sex

2011-11-21T06:55:00.000-08:00

By Amy T. Schalet

For American parents, teenage sex is something to be feared and forbidden: most would never consider allowing their children to have sex at home, and sex is a frequent source of family conflict. In the Netherlands, where teenage pregnancies are far less frequent than in the United States, parents aim above all for family cohesiveness, often permitting young couples to sleep together and providing them with contraceptives.

Order today - for all 21st century parents!

Drawing on extensive interviews with parents and teens, "Not Under My Roof" offers an unprecedented, intimate account of the different ways that girls and boys in both countries negotiate love, lust, and growing up. Tracing the roots of the parents' divergent attitudes, Amy Schalet reveals how they grow out of their respective conceptions of the self, relationships, gender, autonomy, and authority. She provides a probing analysis of the way family culture shapes not just sex but also alcohol consumption and parent-teen relationships. Avoiding caricatures of permissive Europeans and puritanical Americans, Schalet shows that the Dutch require self-control from teens and parents, while Americans guide their children toward autonomous adulthood at the expense of the family bond.

Order today on Amazon.

Invisible Girls: The Truth About Sexual Abuse

2011-11-16T06:38:00.000-08:00

By Dr. Patti Feuereisen Ph.D.

The statistics are staggering.

One in four girls will experience sexual abuse by the time she is sixteen, and 48 percent of all rapes involve a young woman under the age of eighteen. It’s not surprising then, that in a society where sexual abuse of young women is rampant, many women never share their stories. They remain hidden and invisible.

In her pioneering work with young survivors through the last thirty years, Dr. Patti Feuereisen has helped teen girls and young women to find their voices, begin healing, and become visible.

In this revised second edition, Dr. Patti’s gentle guidance and the girls’ powerful stories continue to create an encouraging message: Remarkable healing is possible if girls learn to share their stories in their teens and early twenties. With a new introduction, new chapters, and updated resources, this new edition of Invisible Girls has even more to offer girls, young women, and those who care about them.

Order today.

Kids Discuss and Parent Resources

2011-11-14T04:24:00.000-08:00

KidsDiscuss.com and Parent Resources from Jean Tracy

I earned my Master of Social Work degree from Bryn Mawr College. Parenting Resources grew out of my experiences as a mother, a teacher, a marriage and family counselor for over 20 years, and as an author and speaker. - Jean Tracy

From books, ebooks, videos, online courses, parenting audios and more - there is something for parents raising today's children. Visit www.KidsDiscuss.com today and learn more!

Join KidsDiscuss on Facebook and follow Jean Tracy on Twitter.

One Family One Community

2011-11-13T04:30:00.000-08:00

ONE FAMILY ONE COMMUNITY IS A SHOWCASE OF THE POSITIVE PROGRAMS AND GOOD WORKS OF INDIVIDUAL ASSOCIATED MEMBERS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. WE WORK COLLECTIVELY AS A WHOLE TO AID EACH OTHER IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF EDUCATIONAL, ECONOMICAL, POLITICAL AND SOCIAL PROJECTS. HERE, OUR STAFF ARE CONSTANTLY STUDYING, LEARNING, AND APPLY THOSE SKILLS WHICH WOULD ACCELERATE OUR GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT AS A POSITIVE FORCE WITHIN OUR RESPECTIVE COMMUNITY. PLEASE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE LEGAL RESEARCH TEAM AND KNOW THAT ALL ARE WELCOME TO JOIN IN RESEARCHING NEW LAWS AND LEGISLATION WHICH WOULD ASSIST US IN OUR CAUSE AND THE CAUSE OF THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.

WE WILL BE HIGHLIGHTING NEW UPDATES ON PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS. WE WILL BE GIVING RECOGNITION TO THOSE ASSOCIATED MEMBERS MAKING A DIFFERENCE. SO VISIT THIS WEBSITE OFTEN, TO STAY IN TUNE TO WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE COMMUNITY NEAR YOU.

Learn more.

Digital Shepherds: Insuring you and your family's safety online

2011-11-12T07:01:00.000-08:00

Founded in 2009, Digital Shepherds is an organization whose focus is instructing and educating parents, through workshops and seminars, webinar/distance learning and direct dvd sales, on how to “techno-proof” their homes when their children are young and ultimately help cultivate trust and digital literacy in the household as the young ones mature and the digital lifestyle becomes more a part of their lives.

Join them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter for the most up-to-date information about online safety and education.

One of their important articles is:

5 Tips For A Digital Drama Free School Year

Click here for the tips.

Miriam's Kitchen - Give to the Max Day

2011-11-08T11:56:00.000-08:00

• Starting at midnight on Wednesday, November 9, local residents will donate online to help raise millions of dollars for local nonprofits as part of the first annual Give to the Max Day: Greater Washington.

• Give to the Max Day is a massive one-day regional online fundraiser that will unite local Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC communities to support nonprofits serving the area.

• As part of Give to the Max Day: Greater Washington, nonprofits large and small can earn their share of $125,000 in cash awards, including up to $25,000 for nonprofits with the most individual donors and the most money donated.

• Homelessness in Washington, DC, the Nation's Capitol: there are more than 6,500 homeless men, women and children in Washington, DC on any given night. Of those, nearly 2,000 are chronically homeless--meaning they have been homeless for a year or more, or four or more times in the past three years.

• Miriam's Kitchen provides free, homemade meals and high-quality support services to more than 4,000 homeless men and women each year in the Nation's Capitol, Washington, DC. Their core programs are meals, case management, Miriam's Studio, and Miriam's Cafe.

• Homelessness at Miriam's Kitchen: on any given day at Miriam's Kitchen, 82 percent of their guests are chronically homeless. In fact, the average length of homelessness of the guests is 5.5 years

• Nearly 80 percent of Miriam's Kitchen's guests live on the streets of DC, in parks around the city, under the bridges along the Potomac River, and in emergency shelters.

• Miriam's Kitchen's guest demographics: 95 percent of Miriam's Kitchen's guests are male, 60 percent are African American and the median age of our guests is 50.

• Mental illness and addiction at Miriam's Kitchen: Many of Miriam's Kitchen's guests suffer from severe mental illnesses and addictions, making them the most fragile and hardest to connect with social services.

Learn more at http://www.miriamskitchennews.org/.

Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life

2011-11-05T06:06:00.000-07:00

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By James Patterson, Laura Parker, Chris Tebbetts

"Rafe Khatchadorian has enough problems at home without throwing his first year of middle school and the school bully Miller (aka Miller the Killer) into the mix. Luckily, he's got an ace plan for the best year ever, if only he can pull it off: With his best friend Leonardo the Silent awarding him points, Rafe tries to break every rule in his school's oppressive Code of Conduct.

But when Rafe's game starts to catch up with him, he'll have to decide if winning is all that matters, or if he's finally ready to face the rules, bullies, and truths he's been avoiding. "

Read More at http://middleschoolbook.com/

Order on Amazon today!

November is Bullying Prevention Month: Bully Bust Your Community

2011-11-02T10:00:00.000-07:00

What is BullyBust?

A nationwide bully prevention awareness effort launched by NSCC in 2009, BullyBust is designed to help students and adults become “upstanders”—people who stand up to bullying and become part of the solution to end harmful harassment, teasing, and violence in our nation's schools. BullyBust promotes valuable free supports to help schools-in-need put an end to bullying with targeted school-wide and classroom-based efforts. This site includes research-based resources for students, parents, and educators for addressing bullying incidences effectively and creating a culture of upstanders inside and out of school.

Join BULLYBUST to make your voice count in a community-led concerted effort to REDUCE bullying in schools! Through this campaign, you will have an opportunity to SHARE your stories, PLEDGE your commitment to the cause, GAIN ACCESS to key supports, and CREATE a school-wide effort of hope and solidarity.

Visit www.BullyBust.org.

Join them on Facebook and Twitter.

Bullies 2 Buddies

2011-10-28T11:37:00.000-07:00

Is your child being bullied in school? Are you angry because the school is failing to make the bullying stop? Or are you furious because the school is accusing your child of being a bully?

If you have found that everything you and your school are doing to make bullying stop isn’t working, you have come to the right place! Bullies to Buddies™ has materials and services that really work!

Learn more at www.Bullies2Buddies.com and become an educated parent!

Alcohol Screening and Brief Intervention for Youth: A Practitioner's Guide

2011-10-25T10:07:00.000-07:00

If you manage the health and well-being of 9- to 18-year-olds, this Guide is for you.

“Alcohol Screening and Brief Intervention for Youth: A Practitioner’s Guide” is designed to help health care professionals quickly identify youth at risk for alcohol-related problems. NIAAA developed the Guide and Pocket Guide in collaboration with the American Academy of Pediatrics, a team of underage drinking researchers and clinical specialists, and practicing health care professionals.

Why use this tool?

It can detect risk early: In contrast to other screens that focus on established alcohol problems, this early detection tool aims to help you prevent alcohol-related problems in your patients before they start or address them at an early stage.
It’s empirically based: The screening questions and risk scale, developed through primary survey research, are powerful predictors of current and future negative consequences of alcohol use.
It’s fast and versatile: The screen consists of just two questions, which can be incorporated easily into patient interviews or pre-visit screening tools across the care spectrum, from annual exams to urgent care.
It’s the first tool to include friends’ drinking: The “friends” question will help you identify patients at earlier stages of alcohol involvement and target advice to include the important risk of friends’ drinking.

Download or order the Guide and pocket guide.

You may also be interested in related resources to support you, your patients, and their families

Class Wish Web Thrift Store

2011-10-19T04:25:00.000-07:00

Making a difference.

You know how deep the school budget cuts have been! Now, your child doesn’t have to sit in a classroom that doesn’t have enough supplies and equipment. Now, teachers don’t have to spend their own money just to provide the basics.

An exciting nonprofit has a new solution.

Here’s an easy new way that all of us can turn unused household items into resources for the classroom of our choice: http://ClassWish-WebThriftStore.org.

You list items on the site. Visitors buy. And a full 80% of the purchase price will go to help fulfill a Wish List for the K-12 teacher or PTA/PTO you choose, so your child and others can perform at their best. It gets even better: you will receive a tax-deduction for the value of the item (generally, the full purchase price).

Imagine what a well-equipped classroom your child could have if all the parents participate!

To get the greatest exposure for your items, list them today so the first buyers see them when we start selling on October 21.

The web thrift store is brought to you http://ClassWish.org, the nonprofit about which Sarah Brown Wessling, 2010 National Teacher of the Year, wrote, “This nonprofit is a swift and inventive way for communities to unite in support of the tools that make learning more accessible for all students.”

Please list your items today. Tell your child’s teacher and the school’s PTA. And be sure to tell other parents about this great new opportunity.

Learn more at www.ClassWish.org.

Sober Info: Educating your community

2011-10-17T15:43:00.000-07:00

SOBERINFO is an informational news portal for the sobriety community to empower, share, educate and learn from others within the industry.

SOBERINFO is a collaborative platform for industry professionals and participants, alike, to submit their own original content as well as recommend useful resources, news articles and blog posts that may be of value to the sobriety community.

SOBERINFO was designed to be the go to resource for the most useful and relevant information the internet has to offer. This site was built for those in the sobriety community, so please help us to make it the powerful tool it was designed to be.

Contact Information:

info@soberinfo.com

714.545.5384

www.soberinfo.com

Follow on Twitter.

Tobacco Free Florida: Halloween Haunting - Candy Flavored Tobacco Products

2011-10-15T04:42:00.000-07:00

Kid-friendly flavors, colorful packaging and scheming marketing campaigns target young people while masking the harmful tendencies of tobacco use.

The emergence of new candy-flavored tobacco products has parents, teachers, health advocates, physicians and communities rightly concerned. Cigarillos, cigars and a host of smokeless tobacco products - chew, snuff, snus, dissolvable tobacco - now come in such tantalizing flavors as pineapple, sour apple and chocolate. They are presented in bright and playful packaging and readily available at convenience stores throughout the state, much like Halloween candy.

These products, widely considered to be a gateway to a lifetime of tobacco addiction, have been proven to entice young audiences. In fact, use of all flavored tobacco products among youth is trending upward. In Florida, one in six kids between the ages of 11 and 17 had ever tried flavored tobacco, and youth erroneously believe these products to be less harmful than their non-flavored counterparts.

“It’s the ultimate guise,” remarked Kim Berfield, Deputy Secretary of the Florida Department of Health.“Youth are drawn in to the pageantry of these novel products and fall prey to the tobacco industry’s sweet deception.”

Youth have always been an essential target for the tobacco industry. Numerous internal tobacco industry documents reveal that the companies perceive kids as a key market, and develop products and advertising campaigns aimed at them. With traditional smoking rates on the decline in the U.S., the tobacco industry insures its livelihood by creating products and strategies that connect with a new generation of tobacco users.
“I want to ensure that my peers understand that candy-flavored tobacco is not safer than cigarettes or other ‘plain’ tobacco products,” said Kareem Golden (Putnam County), SWAT State Chair. “I see these products more and more in my everyday life -- in magazines, at sporting events, at local convenience stores. Plus, with some of the new dissolvable products, no one even knows when you’re using them, so I urge people to resist the lure of these products.”

Candy-flavored smokeless tobacco products are also perceived to be less harmful; but in reality, these products contain more nicotine than cigarettes, and 28 cancer-causing agents (carcinogens), including nitrosamines, which are the most harmful. In addition, people who experiment with smokeless tobacco often develop a pattern of regular daily use.
Fortunately, the onslaught of flavored tobacco products has not gone unnoticed. The controversial candy-flavored cigarette was banned under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Actin 2009. However, menthol cigarettes, flavored cigars, cigarillos and smokeless products were not included. Today, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is examining options for regulating these remaining categories of flavored tobacco products.

Many municipalities throughout the state of Florida have taken on candy-flavored tobacco head-on. In June, Sarasota County passed a resolution urging local vendors to cease the sale and marketing of all candy-flavored tobacco products. The Fort Myers City Council also signed a resolution that urges tobacco retailers to stop selling and marketing all flavored tobacco in the city limits.

Remember, candy-flavored tobacco products pose significant health risks. They can cause cancers of the mouth, lung, pancreas, esophagus, and larynx and possibly contribute to the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other respiratory diseases.

Don’t be fooled by the most dangerous disguise of them all. If you are looking to quit or would like to encourage someone to stop using candy-flavored tobacco, Tobacco Free Florida can help. Tobacco Free Florida offers a number of free and convenient resources to help all tobacco users quit.

Phone: Call the Florida Quitline at 1-877-U-CAN-NOW to speak with a Quit Coach who will help you assess your addiction and help you create a personalized quit plan.
Online: Enroll in the Web Coach®, which will help you create your own web-based quit plan that’s right for you, visit https://www.quitnow.net/florida.
In-person: Visit the Florida Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Network’s website, http://ahectobacco.com, to locate your local AHEC and sign up for Quit Smoking Now group classes.

ABOUT TOBACCO FREE FLORIDA

Tobacco Free Florida (TFF) is a statewide cessation and prevention campaign funded by Florida’s tobacco settlement fund. The program is managed by the Florida Department of Health, specifically the Bureau of Tobacco Prevention Program. TFF’s mission is to combat the pervasive problem of tobacco use in the Sunshine State, where each year, more than 28,000 Floridians die from smoking and tobacco-related diseases cost the state an estimated $19.6 billion in healthcare costs and lost productivity.

Since its inception in February 2008, TFF has reached millions of Floridians through advertising, grassroots initiatives, social media, and public relations efforts as a means of providing information and offer resources to help tobacco users quit. Smokers and smokeless tobacco users interested in quitting are encouraged to call the Florida Quitline at 1-877-U-CAN-NOW to speak with a quit coach. To learn about TFF and the state’s free quit smoking resources, visit www.tobaccofreeflorida.com or follow the campaign on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TobaccoFreeFlorida or Twitter at twitter.com/tobaccofreefla.

Join me on Facebook and follow me on Twitter for more information and educational articles on parenting today's teenagers.

Stop Bullying: SPEAK UP

2011-10-11T08:44:00.000-07:00

Bullying hurts our kids.

It can have a lasting and damaging impact on their lives – sometimes more than we realize. Our goal is to raise awareness of the simple, yet powerful actions that parents, kids, and educators can take to prevent bullying. We hope to inspire millions of bystanders to take action by speaking up when they see bullying and to grow a community committed to ending bullying.

For more information visit www.StopBullyingSpeakUp.com and join their Facebook page.

Red Ribbon Campaign: Preventing Teen Drug Use

2011-10-07T04:50:00.000-07:00

The National Family Partnership organized the first Nationwide Red Ribbon Campaign. NFP provides drug awareness by sponsoring the annual National Red Ribbon Celebration. Since its beginning in 1985, the Red Ribbon has touched the lives of millions of people around the world. In response to the murder of DEA Agent Enrique Camarena, angered parents and youth in communities across the country began wearing Red Ribbons as a symbol of their commitment to raise awareness of the killing and destruction cause by drugs in America.

Enrique (Kiki) Camarena was a Drug Enforcement Administration Agent who was tortured and killed in Mexico in 1985. When he decided to join the US Drug Enforcement Administration, his mother tried to talk him out of it. "I'm only one person", he told her, "but I want to make a difference."

On Feb. 7, 1985, the 37-year-old Camarena left his office to meet his wife for lunch. Five men appeared at the agent's side and shoved him in a car. One month later, Camarena's body was found. He had been tortured to death.

In honor of Camarena's memory and his battle against illegal drugs, friends and neighbors began to wear red badges of satin. Parents, sick of the destruction of alcohol and other drugs, had begun forming coalitions. Some of these new coalitions took Camarena as their model and embraced his belief that one person can make a difference. These coalitions also adopted the symbol of Camarena's memory, the red ribbon.

In 1988, NFP sponsored the first National Red Ribbon Celebration. Today, the Red Ribbon serves as a catalyst to mobilize communities to educate youth and encourage participation in drug prevention activities. Since that time, the campaign has reached millions of U.S. children and families.

The National Family Partnership (NFP) and its network of individuals and organizations continue to deliver his message of hope to millions of people every year, through the National Red Ribbon Campaign.

Learn more - click here.

Caregiver Village: Making A Difference

2011-10-04T12:01:00.000-07:00

Today in the U.S. alone over 50 million individuals are caregivers for an aged, ill or challenged family member. Whether you have a child with autism or ADHD or a parent with Alzheimer’s disease or Parkinson’s, you may be one of those millions, experiencing an unprecedented level of stress and personal challenge.

Despite millions of dollars and hundreds of dedicated websites, family caregivers are still in trouble. With over 60 million family caregivers in the U.S. alone, many are sick (with nearly twice the rate of chronic illnesses as their non-caregiving peers); they’re depressed (40-60% report significant feelings of depression) and they’re frustrated, unable to find resources or solutions they need to help with the basic, day-to-day caregiving tasks they face. They’re also costly to our economy, accounting for an estimated $33 billion in lost productivity to our country’s businesses.

It’s time to change this description of the family caregiver. It’s time improve the lives of family caregivers. Caregiver Village, a brand new place on the web, is dedicated to doing exactly this.

Learn more:

caregivervillage.com
facebook.com/caregivervillage
twitter.com/cgvillage

Abuse Bites

2011-10-03T10:56:00.000-07:00

Abuse Bites was created by Lisa Freeman who is an abuse survivor.

Many don't realize that bullying isn't just limited to kids and teens. Adult bullying is more prevalent that many know.

Abuse Bites Workshops Aim to Educate & Train employers and workers alike how to defeat bullying and make the workforce a more enjoyable, safer, and productive place.

October is National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month. Find out how you can help your community combat bullying and learn more about bullying prevention.

GAPRA: Global Alliance for Preventing Relational Aggression

2011-10-01T08:30:00.000-07:00

Welcome Schools and Youth Organizations!

You Know the Devastating Effect Relational Aggression (RA), or Emotional Bullying, Can Have in Your School or Youth Organization. Are You Ready to Equip Your Staff, Volunteers, and Parents with Tools to Reduce Relational Aggression in Your Community?

Relational Aggression Causes Emotional Suffering

This unproductive behavior frequently:

Wastes opportunities for growth and learning
Steals time
Causes dropout behavior
Decreases attendance
Leads to eating disorders, self-mutilation, depression or suicide
Leaves lasting emotional scars

The Solution: Train Everyone in Your School or Youth Organization

Training your staff, volunteers and parents to recognize relational aggression and to know how to effectively deal with it will have a positive influence on your youth.

Membership in GAPRA Equips Your School or Organization with Training, Tools and Support – Without Having to Leave Town!

When your school or youth organization joins GAPRA, you equip everyone in your community with the knowledge and skills to prevent relational aggression through monthly training opportunities, CDs, transcripts and checklists/forms/templates.

You, your group leaders, parents, counselors, teachers, administrators and others will learn a common language and positive framework to proactively address relational aggression.

Empower Your Community to Think and Work Together to Support Your Youth From Every Angle. Join GAPRA Now!

GAPRA membership is affordable.

Learn more about how an annual GAPRA membership will help your community.

Teen Sex: Sex Etc..... Answering those questions parents struggle with

2011-09-26T06:11:00.000-07:00

Sex, Etc. is on a mission to improve teen sexual health across the country! Each year, five million young people visit Sexetc.org, and over 45,000 read our national magazine to get honest and accurate sexual health information. We've helped teens with answers to their questions about sex, relationships, pregnancy, STDs, birth control, sexual orientation and more!
Sexetc.org features 17 topic areas plus the following sections:

Stories written by teen staff writers and national contributors.
Your Voice, Your Rights, which gives teens the opportunity to create a profile, share stories about sexuality education in their schools and speak up for the sex ed they want, need and deserve.
“Take Action,” which gives teens the tools to advocate for comprehensive sex ed in their schools and communities.
The Sex, Etc. blog—Beyond the Birds and the Bees—which addresses timely sexual health issues that are relevant to teens.
Forums where teens can participate in moderated discussions with other teens.
"Sex in the States," which is a state-by-state guide to teens' rights to sex education, birth control and more.
Videos about sexual health.
A Sex Terms glossary of more than 400 terms
A mobile site that can be accessed on any phone with Internet access. It contains all of our FAQs, Sex Terms and Sex in the States information.

Sex, Etc. is part of the Teen-to-Teen Sexuality Education Project developed by Answer, a national organization dedicated to providing and promoting comprehensive sexuality education to young people and the adults in their lives. For more information about Answer and to find out how you can support better sex education, please visit the Answer Web site.

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SAVE: Suicide Awareness Voices of Education

2011-09-22T11:12:00.000-07:00

SAVE was one of the nation's first organizations dedicated to the prevention of suicide and was a co-founding member of the National Council for Suicide Prevention. Their history and growth from an all-volunteer, small grassroots group of passionate survivors led them to what is one of today's leading national not-for-profit organizations with staff dedicated to prevent suicide. This site, along with their work, is based on the foundation and belief that suicide should no longer be considered a hidden or taboo topic and that through raising awareness and educating the public, they can SAVE lives.

SAVE cannot operate without the generous support of individual, corporate, foundation, and event support. They also rely heavily on volunteers for their speaker's bureau, office help, events, conferences, and raising awareness in every city.
SAVE provides resources centered on suicide prevention and coping with loss due to suicide. Educational brochures for adults and youth are available for community prevention programs, schools, health care professionals, businesses and for individuals concerned with suicide prevention. These valuable tools provide an excellent opportunity to build community awareness as well as help those in need.

They at SAVE believe that suicide is preventable and that suicide prevention works. In order to accomplish Their mission and goals, they use the public health model along with a media campaign to raise awareness of suicide. They use an educational approach to dispel the myths about suicide, and to let others know about the realities surrounding what in 1999 the former U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher called a "public health crisis." On the following pages you will find information and resources that will help you if you are suicidal or if you know someone who is.

If you are suicidal or you think someone you know is, they want you to know that help is available and recovery is possible! Start by learning the warning signs, and do whatever you can to get yourself or someone you care about to the help they need so that they can return to living a fully functioning life.

SAVE – Suicide Awareness Voices of Education

In memory of 14 year-old Jamey Rodemey. Click here.

Know the warning signs.

Be a voice.

Make a difference in your community.

Don't be silenced.

Teen Dating: Love Is Not Abuse Campaign

2011-09-20T05:42:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON, D.C. – September 14, 2011 – A new survey reveals dating violence and abuse to be surprisingly more prevalent among college students than previously believed. Nearly half of dating college women (43%) report having ever experienced violent or abusive dating behaviors, and more than one in five (22%) report actual physical abuse, sexual abuse or threats of physical violence. Despite the high number of students experiencing these types of abuse, more than one-third of college students (38%) say they would not know how to get help on campus if they found themselves in an abusive relationship.

The survey, “Liz Claiborne Inc.’s Love Is Not Abuse 2011 College Dating Violence and Abuse Poll,” was conducted by Knowledge Networks to address the lack of data on dating violence and abuse among college students and to increase the understanding of this problem on college campuses nationwide.

According to dating violence expert, Dr. Karen Singleton, Director of Sexual Violence Response, a program of Columbia University Health Services, “This survey expands on earlier reports and reinforces the complexity of the issue.” Among the findings are:

· Nearly 1 in 3 (29%) college women report having been a victim of an abusive dating relationship in her life.

· 57% of students who report having been in an abusive dating relationship indicate it occurred in college.

· 52% of college women report knowing a friend who has experienced violent and abusive dating behaviors including physical, sexual, digital, verbal or controlling abuse.

· Further, 58% of students said they would not know how to help if they knew someone was a victim.

“The findings of this survey prove that colleges and universities need to provide a more comprehensive response and additional creative educational programs to address dating violence and abuse,” said Jane Randel, Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications, Liz Claiborne Inc.

The survey findings were released today, during a forum to educate students about sexual assault prevention and survivor assistance at American University.

The full report of survey results can be found at www.loveisnotabuse.com.

National Dating Abuse Helpline and Break the Cycle Respond to the Urgent Need for Education

In direct response to these new findings, www.loveisrespect.org, a partnership between the National Dating Abuse Helpline and leading teen dating violence prevention organization, Break the Cycle, is launching an initiative to target college students with new, relevant resources to address the issue of dating abuse.

The expanded online content includes: Take Action (information on how students can get involved on their campus), Stay Safe (safety planning designed specifically for college students) and Help a Friend (information to assist bystanders). The survey shows that 57% of college students say it is difficult to identify dating abuse - substantive evidence of the need for increased education and awareness.

“It is our hope that with these targeted college resources, we can help increase knowledge about how students can combat the issue and ultimately, help prevent the prevalence of dating abuse and violence among students,” said President of the National Domestic Violence Hotline and National Dating Abuse Helpline, Katie-Ray Jones.

The resources are available, free online at www.loveisrespect.org.

In addition, Liz Claiborne Inc. has created a college dating violence curriculum called Love Is Not Abuse, designed to help students deal with dating violence and abuse on campus. The first college curriculum of its kind, Love Is Not Abuse educates students about the dangers and warning signs of dating violence, offers lessons specifically on abuse via technology and provides resources where college students can find help on campus.

The Love Is Not Abuse curriculum was created by a task force consisting of educators and domestic and sexual violence experts from Columbia University, George Mason University, the University of Kansas, Virginia Community College System, Northern Virginia Community College and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) following the May 2010 murder of University of Virginia student Yeardley Love.

The Love Is Not Abuse college curriculum is available online, free at www.loveisnotabuse.com/web/guest/curriculum.

Safe Haven Law: Protecting Newborns

2011-09-19T06:07:00.000-07:00

Baby abandonment is a tragedy that is happening in the United States - It does not have to happen:
A Safe Haven for Newborns began in response to the tragedy of infant abandonment in Florida. We see and read about abandoned babies all too often – it is heart breaking.

The Safe Haven Law is a safety net for both the mother and the newborn infant. Instead of abandoning a newborn to an almost sure death, it allows mothers, fathers or whoever is in possession of an unharmed newborn, approximately seven days old or less, to leave them at a Safe Haven facility: Any Hospital, Staffed 24/7 Fire Rescue Station, or Staffed 24/7 Emergency Medical Service Station, with no questions asked, totally anonymous, free from fear of prosecution...... A compassionate approach which is saving lives.

According to a CNN review of FBI statistics, nearly five infants under the age of one are killed in the U.S. each week. The federal government and most states do not keep statistics specific to abandoned newborns. There is presently no way to clearly determine what portion of infant deaths are due to abandonment.

This eye-opening story can open the lines of communication with your teenager. Talk to your teen about sex education, pregnancy and choices they have. Learn more at Stay Teen.

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Protect Children Online

2011-09-16T05:41:00.000-07:00

Do you know how to protect your children from online predators?

Do you when your child is being cyberbullied?

Do you know how to set your parental controls?

There are so many new challenges to parenting and technology is probably one of the biggest with today's generation of children.

www.ProtectChildrenOnline.org is dedicated to your family's cyber-safety.

Bill Latchford created the site, www.protectchildrenonline.org to help raise awareness of the rising threats that The Internet and Technology itself can pose to our children.

Follow him on Twitter and join him on Facebook!

ADHD and Social Skills: A Step-by-Step Guide for Teachers and Parents

2011-09-12T14:27:00.000-07:00

Order today!

By Esta M. Rapoport

Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) leave for school in the morning with a smile and a backpack, ready to make friends. They often return from school after having been bullied. Children with ADHD appear vulnerable to their peers, because they misinterpret social cues and behave in a socially inappropriate manner. These children have few if any friends.

This book explains the difficulties that children with ADHD endure to those individuals who do not understand the complexities of these children's problems. Difficulties with attention, organization and social interaction are listed, defined, and described. Teachers and personnel who work with these children in school and parents who work with their children at home are offered innovative techniques for improving these children's behavior, in a way that everyone can understand and implement. Real-life experiences of average people living with children with ADHD are included, so that parents can feel less alone in their experiences.

Order today on Amazon.

Follow the author on Twitter.

Third Annual BLUE SHIRT DAY™ -WORLD DAY OF BULLYING PREVENTION

2011-09-10T04:40:00.000-07:00

Order your shirts today!

Love Our Children USA announced today the Third Annual BLUE SHIRT DAY™ - WORLD DAY OF BULLYING PREVENTION to kickoff National Bullying Prevention Awareness month during October. The Blue Shirt Day™- World Day of Bullying Prevention is an initiative of STOMP Out Bullying™ to combat bullying and cyberbullying.

This time of year should be an exciting time for students returning to school …learning, seeing old friends and making new ones; but the reality for many is often very different. They're the victims of bullying at school, on playgrounds and online. They’re afraid to go to school for fear of being bullied.

To signify the importance of National Bullying Prevention Awareness month, STOMP Out Bullying™, a signature program of Love Our Children USA™, created Blue Shirt Day™- World Day of Bullying Prevention which is observed on the first Monday of October. On this day, we ask kids and adults alike to make Monday, October 3rd, the day that bullying prevention is heard around the world by wearing a Blue Shirt in solidarity to STOMP Out Bullying.

With the new school year beginning, this is a call to action for students, schools and workplaces across the country. Hundreds of schools across the country have agreed to participate and many more are expected to join.
This year’s campaign not only offers a newly designed “limited edition” blue shirt, it will create an even greater awareness with a PSA. The PSA will air on major TV and cable networks, as well as online.
Ross Ellis, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of STOMP Out Bullying™ said: "Kids who are intimidated, threatened, or harmed by bullies and cyberbullies often experience low self-esteem and depression. Some take their lives as an alternative. Many do not understand how extreme bullying can get. Parents, teachers and school administrators must use sensitivity in handling these issues. They must also work to make the victims more resilient, as well as working to help change the behavior of the bully. Schools can no longer sweep the issue under the rug."

STOMP Out Bullying™ offers students a safe haven. From information and resources, to an online area where youths can talk about the issue, to getting involved in social media efforts, signing a petition, raising awareness, Blue Shirt Day and celebrity PSAs and a HelpChat Line for kids and teens who are bullied, cyberbullied and at-risk for suicide, and a soon to be launched area where students can upload videos about their experiences with bullying and why they want to end bullying.

We ask kids, teens and adults to participate BLUE SHIRT DAY™- WORLD DAY OF BULLYING PREVENTION by wearing the STOMP Out Bullying™ “limited edition” blue shirt or wear their own blue shirt.
And from September 29th – October 19th the biggest celebrities will participate in the Fourth Annual STOMP Out Bullying Auction on charitybuzz.com. Some of last year’s celebrities include: Paul McCartney, Elton John, Bill Joel, Bette Midler, Ellen Degeneres, Celine Dion, Bryan Adams, Dancing With the Stars and Tom Bergeron, American Idol and a host of other very notable stars.

Ellis said: "We are so grateful to all of our partners joining us in this fight to STOMP Out Bullying. Bullying can be so painful and clearly has played a role in recent suicides across the country. And cyberbullying is in full force with the use of social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and other sites popular with kids and teens. This social online cruelty is used by individuals or groups intending to harm our youth. Bullying starts as early as kindergarten. We have to look at prevention as a community issue. It’s up to parents, schools, law enforcement and the students to work together to educate and prevent – putting an end to the violence and to the suicides.”

The parents of Scott Walz, Sladjana Vidovic, Phoebe Prince, Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover, Jesse Logan, Hope Witsell (Florida), Ryan Halligan and all of the others who took their lives know only too well, because they their kids could no longer take the daily torment.

They might be here today if their schools had listened and taken a stand against all forms of bullying.Students should be educated about the harmful effects of bullying and cyberbullying. They can begin by observing and participating in National Bullying Prevention Awareness month and BLUE SHIRT DAY™- WORLD DAY OF BULLYING PREVENTION.

Recent Statistics Show:

1 out of 4 kids is Bullied.
Approximately 160000 kids stay home from school each day due to the fear of being bullied
43% of teens, 97% of middle schoolers and 47% of older teens 18-24 are cyberbullied
9 out of 10 LGBT students experienced harassment at school

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SOBERLINK Family - Monitoring Promotes Accountability and Your Teens

2011-09-06T07:13:00.000-07:00

What is SOBERLINK?

Soberlink is a patent pending medical device that remotely monitors a person's blood alcohol level without being physically present. Soberlink compiles a sobriety report that transmits to a web-based monitoring portal for counselors to review.

Monitoring helps promote accountability with your teenagers:

It is proven that families who use monitoring techniques provide their children with one more good reason to say "NO" in the face of social pressures.
Proactive parents desire their children to be successful in every aspect of life. Most teenagers want to make the right decision, but compromise when faced with a moment of social pressure and peer expectation.
The accountability of SOBERLINK empowers your teenager to make the right choices in the moments that matter most.

Learn more at www.SoberLink.net.

Watch then video of how SOBERLINK works here.

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Do I Get My Allowance Before or After I'm Grounded?: Stop Fighting, Start Talking, and Get to Know Your Teen

2011-09-01T04:23:00.000-07:00

Order today!

Just released!

HOORAY! Finally, parenting advice from the kid’s perspective! It’s usually impossible to get more than one-word-answers from us, but with my book “Do I Get My Allowance Before or After I’m Grounded” and my blog, I hope I can be honest about real issues that teens and pre-teens are dealing with, so you, the parents, can actually understand us (well at least a small part of our world)…and we can finally develop better relationships.

Have you ever wondered what really goes on in the mind of a teenager?

As a teenager, have you ever wondered why parents really make your curfew so early?

As a parent, have you hoped for a better understanding of the teenage years?

I am very excited to announce that my next book will be coming out in September with Plume Books–a member of Penguin Group (USA). Here is a sneak peek:

“Do I Get My Allowance Before or After I’m Grounded?” by Vanessa Van Petten

For Parents with Kids Age 7-23!

Every parent fears “losing” their child. But in this revolutionary book, youthologist Vanessa Van Petten translates what parents want to say into what teens want to hear.

At 16, Vanessa Van Petten started her award-winning website, RadicalParenting.com, in reaction to sudden friction with her parents. Today,Vanessa and more than one hundred teen contributors help thousands of parents build and maintain healthy, strong, mutually fulfilling relationships with their teenage children—by providing prescriptive advice straight from the source.

From classic fights like dating and chores to twenty-first century issues such as sexting and cyberbullying, this comprehensive book provides step-by-step guidance on every worry, including:

• Lying

• Social Networking

• School

• Peer Pressure

• Sex

• Drugs

It’s never too late to reconnect. Vanessa Van Petten helps you learn what’s really going on in your child’s life, and most importantly—understand when to put your foot down and when to let go. This book is helpful for parents with kids ages 7 to 25–the advice is timeless and can help in all parent child relationships.

Order on Amazon today!

Inner Bonding: Learning to Love Yourself

2011-08-30T06:09:00.000-07:00

Inner Bonding offers a profound process for learning how to love your self and other rather than abandon yourself. It leads you out of emotional dependency and into emotional freedom and joy.

Inner Bonding is a powerful 6-step process for healing anxiety, depression, shame, addictions, and relationships - as seen on Oprah. Recommended by actress Lindsay Wagner and singer Alanis Morissette. Free Course at http://www.innerbonding.com/

Created in 1988 by Dr. Margaret Paul and Dr. Erika Chopich. INNER BONDING® is a transformational six-step spiritual pathway that heals anxiety, depression, addictions, and relationships. Recommended by actress LINDSAY WAGNER and singer ALANIS MORISSETTE, and featured on OPRAH, Inner Bonding® is the ultimate way to heal, providing six powerful steps to emotional freedom. Take our FREE email course and discover for yourself!

Learning how to love yourself rather than abandon yourself moves you out of pain and into joy, within yourself and your relationships. Learning how to take loving care of your own feelings moves you out of being a victim and into personal power and emotional freedom.

Through the unique and compassionate Inner Bonding® Village, phone facilitation, weekend workshops, 5-day intensive individual and couples retreats, books, Podcasts, Teleseminars, CDs, and DVDs, INNER BONDING has transformed the lives of thousands of people.

Mission: Is to provide an easily accessible 6-Step psychological and spiritual process that anyone can use to heal their fear and pain and create love and joy in their lives.

Join Inner Bonding on Facebook and Twitter.

Third Annual BLUE SHIRT DAY™ -WORLD DAY OF BULLYING PREVENTION

2011-08-29T08:02:00.000-07:00

Order yours today!

Go BLUE - Mark your calendars and get your schools ready for October 3, 2011!

Help STOMP Out Bullying™ across our nation!

Thousands of schools across the country are participating.

Ask your school to participate on 10-3-11 by having the entire school -- students and faculty --GO BLUE and wear a Blue Shirt!

Whether it's our "Limited Edition" Shirt as seen below or your own Blue Shirt we want to see every school in a sea of Blue across the country and throughout the world!

EMAIL us the name and location of your school and we'll add your school's name to our BLUE SHIRT DAY™ - WORLD DAY OF BULLYING PREVENTION supporter list on our website.

Take photos of everyone at school wearing blue!

EMAIL Jpegs to art.stompoutbullying@gmail.com and we'll post your photos on our web site.

Join us in solidarity on Monday, October 3rd! Make a statement against bullying and cyberbullying and STOMP Out Bullying™!

Make October 3rd the day that bullying and cyberbullying prevention are heard around the world by wearing a BLUE SHIRT in solidarity to STOMP Out Bullying™!

To signify the importance of National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month, STOMP Out Bullying™ created BLUE SHIRT DAY™ - WORLD DAY OF BULLYING PREVENTION.

Specifically the first Monday of every October -- this year on Monday, October 3rd we’re asking kids, teens and adults to participate in BLUE SHIRT DAY™ by wearing a BLUE SHIRT to STOMP Out Bullying™.

Whether you order a "Limited Edition" Blue Shirt™ from STOMP Out Bullying™ or wear your own blue shirt, you’ll be sending a message to everyone to end bullying and cyberbullying.

Please join this third annual grassroots effort. Someone you know could be bullied. Someone you know might be a bully.

Visit www.StompOutBullying.org for more information.

Boost UP! Keeping Teens in School

2011-08-24T04:13:00.000-07:00

How can we keep students in school? Research suggests that one of the most important things is to keep them engaged in a safe, supportive environment.

What can you do to help engage students in their communities and create a safe and supportive environment? Offer a few words of encouragement. Become a mentor. Volunteer with a local youth service organization. Coach a team. Whatever you do, you’ll have a profound impact on a student’s ability and desire to stay in school and graduate.

Why students drop out of school:

There’s no single reason.

Students drop out of school for a number of different reasons—and it’s typically a combination of many issues. Here are some of the top reasons students give for leaving school:

Classes aren’t interesting
Parents/family/adults have low expectations
Poor attendance
Failing in school
Family responsibilities (work, caring for siblings, etc.)
Becoming a parent
Too much freedom

Learn more at www.BoostUp.org.

Join me on Facebook and follow me on Twitter for more information and educational articles on parenting today's teenagers.

Volunteering in America

2011-08-20T08:34:00.000-07:00

Volunteers are resolute in their commitment to serving their neighbors and communities, with 62.8 million adults volunteering almost 8.1 billion hours in local and national organizations in 2010, service valued at almost $173 billion. Explore this website for the most comprehensive data on volunteering ever assembled including volunteer profiles for all 50 states and the District of Columbia as well as hundreds of metropolitan areas, rankings, demographic trends, and profiles of volunteer organizations making an impact on some of our nation's toughest challenges.

Did you know that your family could be leaving an important mark in American history, simply by giving time and service to your community? The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the federal agency for volunteering and service is an important part of communities. This month, CNCS released new data on volunteerism. Volunteering in America is the most in-depth report on national service – spotlighting:

·         who volunteers
·         what cities have the highest rates of volunteerism
·         how Americans are serving their community.

You can follow CNCS on Facebook and Twitter, or learn how you can volunteer in your community at www.serve.gov.

Do I Get My Allowance Before or After I’m Grounded? COMING SOON!

2011-08-16T13:38:00.000-07:00

Pre-order today!

By Vanessa Van Petten

When I was 16 I thought it was my Dad’s goal in life to make me miserable. I was convinced that he had a running list of all the ways he could embarrass me in front of my friends, trick me into doing more chores or make my curfew earlier.

Our relationship would have continued to devolve until one day I saw my Dad reading a parenting book. I flipped through it while my Dad was in the bathroom and realized a lot of the things he did that drove me crazy he was getting right out of this book! I looked at the other parenting books on our shelves and realized that they were all written by adults. I wondered—has anyone ever asked teens to write to their parents?

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9a2jw-xhTg&feature=player_embedded

I decided to build a website where teens could answer questions and write to parents called RadicalParenting.com. I couldn’t believe how quickly it grew and how happy both teens were to get their voices out and parents were to have a new outlet for connecting with their kids! We now have over 120 teen writers who give advice.

Teenagers, when given a neutral space LOVE talking to parents and often offer some of the best insight because they are going through it themselves. We have also be so excited to help parents who feel like they cannot reach their kids and teens.

I think teens and parents can work together to overcome their differences and learn to work best together. We have just come out with our book: Do I Get My Allowance Before or After I’m Grounded and it is a radical approach to parenting because it is written from the kid’s perspective! We would love for you to check it out—if you are brave enough to see what kids have to say!

Here is what Publisher’s Weekly had to say:

“Van Petten, founder of the popular Web site RadicalParenting.com, offers parents a candid view of the contemporary teen’s world in this eye-opening text. Van Petten uses actual stories about teens and their often anxious, angry, or befuddled parents to introduce each chapter. Pointing out that she is neither a parent nor a teen (nor a doctor, therapist, or counselor), the college-grad author has nevertheless earnestly investigated her subject and includes current research on teens as well as hundreds of “real quotes, interviews, e-mails and advice from actual teens.” Van Petten explores a variety of timely subjects, including peer relationships, teen/parent communication, bullying, technology, and “risky business” (smoking, drinking, sex, and more). Her outlook on technology and “Internet savvy” is particularly incisive, emphasizing not only the hazards of “time-suck” activities (i.e., Facebook, chatting on IM, and texting) but also the many social and academic benefits of the digital universe. Like a crafty spy, Van Petten comfortably segues from parent to teen perspective, and while noting that each adolescent is unique, she skillfully opens doors to the collective teen psyche. “ –Publishers Weekly

About the author:

Vanessa Van Petten is one of the nation's youngest experts, or 'youthologists' on parenting and adolescents. She now runs her popular parenting website,RadicalParenting.com, which she writes with 120 other teenage writers to answer questions from parents and adults. Her approach has been featured by CNN, Fox News, and Wall Street Journal. She was also on the Real Housewives of Orange County helping the housewives with troubled teens. Her next book, "Do I Get My Allowance Before or After I'm Grounded?" is being released in September 2011 with Plume Books of Penguin USA.

Learn more about Vanessa Van Petten here> http://www.radicalparenting.com/books-and-products/book-youre-grounded

Pre-order today on Amazon!

The Supportive Foster Parent: "Be there for me"

2011-08-15T15:29:00.000-07:00

Order today!

By Dr. Kalyani Gopal

This is a parenting book written in What to Expect style in a user-friendly, honest manner to tackle day to day problems in raising foster children, adoptive children, step-children, grandchildren...for anyone who is raising someone else's child.

The author uses 25 years of experience of working with over 30,000 foster families to teach techniques and parenting solutions in clear and simple ways to solve day to day problems.

Order today on Amazon.

Reviews:

"This book really helped me. I have learned how to deal with different types of situations...how to show love when punishing, all the support systems that are available and so on.." Ms. Yinga, first time foster mother

--Foster Parents

"I enjoyed reading about anxiety, what I should do and how and what to expect. I understand clearly that children will love their parents NO MATTER WHAT."
LaDonna Baker, Foster mother
--Foster Parent

"As a foster parent for the past 9 years I was moved and felt very understood by your book. The advice given will make positive changes for many of "our" children." Thank you!
--Mary Jane Nowdowski, Foster Parent

Dad Labs: Taking Back Paternity

2011-08-12T08:07:00.000-07:00

America is seeing a fundamental shift in the role of men in parenting. While many in the media and academia have observed this trend, no company has emerged to meet the needs of these "New" fathers, the modern dads. Enter DadLabs, Inc., a start-up company dedicated to providing creative media content and information products to serve this new generation of "Super Dads."

Headquartered in Austin, Texas, DadLabs is an information and entertainment company that fosters the father/child relationship through media, instructional and retail products.

The mission of the company is to strengthen families and benefit children by empowering today's fathers.

The company provides resources to expecting, new and veteran fathers that will launch them into a more active and creative role in the lives of their children. DadLabs speaks to the corporate executive and the delivery driver with a voice that is authentic and genuinely male, with wisdom and self-deprecating humor of experience. The products and services offered are honest, informative, sometimes off-color, but always dedicated to the spirit of fatherhood. DadLabs speaks guy and presents information through guy-colored lenses.

Founded in 2004 by Troy Lanier, Clay Nichols and Brad Powell, DadLabs aims to be the voice of the new fatherhood. The company was founded on the core value that parents must be the primary movers in the lives of their children and fathers must play a leading role in this journey. The team at DadLabs is committed to assisting the busy father by providing him with accessible and digestible information and parenting ideas. DadLabs will not only inform and entertain fathers, but will also foster creative father/child activities through retail products.

The trio brings more than 30 years of teaching and hands on fatherhood experience, as well as professional filmmaking and writing experience. Troy Lanier and Clay Nichols are accomplished authors and were named to the Austin Chronicle Best of 2005 for their book "Filmmaking for Teens: Pulling off Your Shorts." The company's first DVD, DueDads: The Man's Survival Guide to Pregnancy won a 27th annual Bronze Telly Award. The company released “DadLabs: A Guide to Fatherhood: Pregnancy and Year One”, the first of a series of books published by Quirk Books released on Father's Day 2009. DadLabs is also in the process of developing a TV show based on the company.

Follow them on Twitter and visit their website.

Odd Girl Out (Newly Revised and Updated Edition)

2011-08-11T06:59:00.000-07:00

Order today!

By Rachel Simmons

Just in time for BACK TO SCHOOL!

REVISED AND UPDATED with new material on cyberbullying and helping girls handle the dangers of life online.

“Peels away the smiley surfaces of adolescent female society to expose one of girlhood’s dark secrets: the vicious psychological warfare waged every day in the halls of our middle schools and high schools.” — San Francisco Chronicle

When Odd Girl Out was first published, it became an instant bestseller and ignited a long-overdue conversation about the hidden culture of female bullying. Today, the dirty looks, taunting notes, jealousy and social exclusion that plague girls’ friendships have gained new momentum in cyberspace; we need fresh, innovative strategies to help our girls come through it all.

Reinforced by up-to-the-minute research and enlivened with real-life stories, this groundbreaking book continues to be the definitive resource illuminating the most pressing social issues facing girls today.

“Passionate and beautifully written. A significant contribution to our understanding of the psychology of girls.” — Michael Thompson, co-author of Raising Cain

“Cathartic to any teen or parent trying to find company.” –Detroit Free Press

An American School Board Journal Notable Book in Education

Includes a Reading Group guide and Teacher’s Guide

Order today on Amazon.

Where Parents Talk

2011-08-10T04:58:00.000-07:00

How it all began:

We started this little business out of our basements in 2003. Back then, when you said "parenting" and "video" in the same breath, people looked at you like you had two heads! But we soldiered on and produced two award-winning DVDs, Bringing Baby Home, on newborn care and Yummy in my Tummy on starting solids. This was way before YouTube and there were very few similar parenting resources available out there.

Fast-forward to 2010 and we are re-launching our website as WhereParentsTalk.com. The internet is the ultimate reference tool nowadays. WhereParentsTalk was created just for parents craving information, support and a shoulder to cry on. You can have spit up crusted onto your 3-day unwashed pjs, be 30 lbs overweight from breastfeeding and still jump online and find millions of others just like you, willing to offer that much-needed support! That is what WhereParentsTalk strives to be, an amazing parenting resource of articles, recipes, videos, forums, and live chats!

Learn more - visit www.WhereParentsTalk.com.

Join them on Facebook and Twitter.

Pregnant Teens Back to School - Know Your Rights

2011-08-06T05:25:00.000-07:00

Teen pregnancy is a subject that can be sensitive to some parents.

Through the many resources available in Broward County, teenage pregnancies have been decreasing. According to National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy there have been more than 354,000 teen births in Florida, between 1991 and 2004, costing taxpayers a total of 8.1 billion dollars.

In September 2006 report by Guttnacher Institute, Florida ranked 6th in a nationwide study with 97 per 1,000 pregnancies in women between ages of 15-19. (Broward County Teen Pregnancy Help).
National Women's Law Center will be hosting a free conference call.

Know Your Rights: A Conference Call for Pregnant and Parenting Students!

Wednesday, August 10, 3pm Eastern

Pregnant and parenting students have a right to equal educational opportunities! Interested? Get more information about protections for students against discrimination.

Expert Speakers will include:

Lara S. Kaufmann, Senior Counsel, National Women's Law Center
Jeanette Pai-Espinosa, President, National Crittenton Foundation

Are you:

A student who is pregnant or has been pregnant while attending school, whether at the high school or post-secondary level?
A member of the school community who wants to ensure that pregnant and parenting students do not experience discrimination but instead stay in school and succeed?
Someone who works with students or advocates for young mothers' rights?

Whether you're a student, guardian, educator, counselor, or community member, our experts on Title IX can help answer your questions. To register, please complete the form.

Be an educated parent, you will have healthier teens.

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3V Learning

2011-08-01T12:31:00.000-07:00

What is 3V Learning?

We are a distance learning provider.
We are your hub for high-quality training modules.
We are entirely computer based.
We are the new standard in distance learning.
We are eager to discuss your training needs.
We are excited about customer service.
We are growing.
We are 3V.

3V LEARNING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT TEAM

3V Learning was born out of a perceived need. L. Craig Turner, founder and President of 3V as well as CEO of Correctional Services Incorporated, for years searched for an effective solution to the need for relevant and time sensitive training for his staffs and associates. Also an education advocate, his search turned to the distance learning community and the opportunities it afforded for instant access to relevant training online. With this discovery, Craig saw too an opportunity to greatly improve and enhance the distance learning experience for users. Today, not only are his employees at CSI reaping the benefits of this style of training, 3V Learning has discovered its broad niche in the education community and is proudly bringing this powerful new training style to a diverse and growing audience.

The following individuals and/or groups have been retained to serve as 3V Learning’s Development and Review Team. Each course we offer as part of our curriculum has been subjected to a meticulous process of research and review by individuals with long histories and qualifications in fields related to the subject matter. We have great confidence in offering courses backed by the collective credentials of these groups or individuals, in the quality of information and training made available through them. If you have any questions or comments for any members of our team, please feel free to direct your inquiries to the team’s email inbox here.

Learn more.

Back to School: The Adventures of Everyday Geniuses

2011-07-30T09:56:00.000-07:00

Barbara Esham

There is no better way for Baltimore families to celebrate the birthday of Dr. Seuss than to explore books from a local author. Like Dr. Suess, Barbara Esham is a children’s author who recognizes and celebrates the uniqueness of each young mind.

Recognizing that each child is gifted with individual strengths and challenges, Esham uses children’s literature to reexamine common assumptions about learning and intelligence.

Traditional teaching methods and academic expectations may not effectively facilitate learning for all children. Esham’s ultimate goal is to revolutionize education by redefining the concepts of learning, creativity, and intelligence.

Click Here to Read Article

Informed Families the Florida Family Partnership

2011-07-28T10:12:00.000-07:00

THE NUMBER ONE REASON KIDS GIVE FOR NOT USING DRUGS IS THEIR PARENTS!

However, 40% of parents believe they have little influence on their children's drug use. Worse, 50% of parents expect their children will use drugs.

When we ask kids what they would like us to do to help with the drug problem, the surprising answer is "talk to our parents about drugs."

Informed Families/The Florida Family Partnership, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, is a broad-based, grass roots volunteer/parent organization that is affiliated with the National Family Partnership. Informed Families is an education, training and support center for parents, schools and communities to help raise safe, healthy and drug-free children.

We teach people how to say no to drugs and how to make healthy choices. To reduce the demand for drugs, Informed Families has focused its efforts on educating and mobilizing the community, parents and young people in order to change attitudes. In this way we counteract the pressures in society that condone and promote drug and alcohol use and abuse. The organization educates thousands of families annually about how to stay drug and alcohol free through networking and a variety of programs and services .

Informed Families offers children's substance abuse prevention activities in various locations throughout the State of Florida. While the agency is headquartered in Miami, other service locations include the Orlando and Pensacola Regions.

Follow PACT Prevention Coalition on Twitter.

The Genius in Children: Bringing out the Best in your Child

2011-07-24T13:20:00.000-07:00

Order today!

By Rick Ackerly

Rick Ackerly has over 40 years of experience working with students, teachers, and parents as a principal, father, and consultant. The stories and advice in his first book THE GENIUS IN CHILDREN reveal a rare wisdom about children and the process of education.

The value of this experience to hundreds of children, parents, and teachers derives from the depth of his perception and the subtlety of his understanding. He offers perspective and guidance on a wide range of challenges faced by parents of today's school-age children: First Day of School ~ Self-confidence ~ Discipline Boundary-Setting ~ Building Character ~ Integrity Taking Responsibility ~ Facing Challenges ~ Separating from Parents Getting into Trouble ~ Handling Disappointment ~ Friendship Bullying ~ Peer Pressure ~ Harassment ~ Reading ~ Testing Homework ~ Academic Achievement ~ Failure and Success Dyslexia and ADHD.

The GENIUS IN CHILDREN is a must-read for parents who want to discover how to bring out the best in their children.

Order on Amazon today.

Learn more about the author here, and follow him on Twitter.

Public and Permanent: The Golden Rule of the 21st Century: Straight Talk About Digital Safety

2011-07-23T06:02:00.000-07:00

Order today!

Public and Permanent: The Golden Rule of the 21st Century: Straight Talk About Digital Safety -The Real Consequences of Digital Abuse

By Richard Guerry

Public and Permanent is the first book to boldly address the very dark areas of the digital world and shows how all digital citizens can avoid becoming victims of any cybercrime. It offers a raw and uncensored glimpse into the digital black market and sheds light on the terrifying reality that digital citizens are often the victim of cyber crime because their friends, family and neighbors hand-deliver their private content to criminals. This eye-opening book provides an unprecedented approach that prevents all digital issues in a rapidly evolving digital world ─ protecting you and your family from making life and legacy altering mistakes.

Public and Permanent is a life changing philosophical guide based on the award winning and nationally acclaimed, "Course to Digital Consciousness™ Live Event. The information in this empowering book ─ and workbook ─ is knowledge that all users of digital technology must know as citizens of a rapidly evolving digital village. This information will help to protect you and your family from making life and legacy altering mistakes.

Order on Amazon today.

Learn more about the author and the book here.

Girl In The Water: Bullying Starts at Home

2011-07-19T14:22:00.000-07:00

Order today.

Girl In The Water: Bullying Starts At Home.

The research link between bullying and sibling abuse can’t be overlooked

By Nancy Kilgore, M.S.

Bullying in America is at epidemic levels, often starting in the American home. Each year, 19 million children are abused in their homes by their own siblings. Nearly two million children use a weapon as a means of resolving a conflict with a sibling. Siblings commit 10 percent of the murders that occur in the American family.

Research has shown a solid link between bullying and sibling abuse. Children who are abused by their siblings are often targets to bullies and often become bullies. The terrifying world of sibling abuse and bullying is exposed in this book. The author’s account is a “first” in the nation.
It is a brilliantly written portrayal that offers a rare and riveting glimpse of what lies beneath the surface of millions of children’s and adult’s lives. The author’s first bully was in her home…her own sister. The author leads the reader on a journey back to her childhood home—where she is confronted with her young dreams and fears, her familial bonds, and the profound, lingering influences that sibling abuse and bullying had on her adulthood and parenting. Resembling the scariest fairy tale, the author’s personal story is narrated with a singular devotion to re-telling her experiences, no matter what the cost.

Like a fairytale, it provides lessons for us all concerning the tragedies and experiences of victims of bullying and sibling abuse. It grips the reader’s imagination with the same unrelenting moral force that fairy tales have for children. This unique story breaks the seal to what has been hidden in so many American homes…sibling abuse. It is a hopeful story for millions of children and adults. This book is comprehensive and has a bibliography, resources and informational strategies for parents and adult survivors.

About the Author:

Nancy Fox-Kilgore, MS is a survivor of sibling abuse and bullying. She holds a Master’s degree from the University of Oregon. Her B.A. and teaching credentials were received from Sacramento State University. Nancy is a leading expert on Bullying, Sibling Abuse, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. She is the author of EVERY EIGHTEEN SECONDS: PERSONAL JOURNEY INTO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE and THE SOURCEBOOK FOR WORKING WITH BATTERED WOMEN.

Nancy is a consultant for the United States Department of Victim's of Crime. She is endorsed for her trainings by state domestic violence coalitions, associations, and organizations. Nancy is a continuing education professor for various universities throughout the United States. Nancy consults and trains from the background of a researcher and a trauma survivor. She enjoys helping survivors of bullying and sibling abuse to overcome fears and move to the unconditional truth of their true selves. She is a workshop facilitator, stress consultant/ life coach and lives in Sacramento, California.

Learn more here.
Order on Amazon!
Watch powerful video.
Follow this author on Twitter.

You ARE Loved

2011-07-18T06:58:00.000-07:00

History of You ARE Loved

Lisa Elifritz lost her 20 year old daughter Amy Rae Elifritz to tampon related Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) on June 13, 2010. From that time on, Lisa has been committed to doing everything possible to raise awareness. In 2011, she founded the non-profit organization You ARE Loved. As of June 2011, the organization has already reached tens of thousands of people through face-to-face educational programs and online awareness initiatives.

Toxic Shock Syndrome Basic Facts:

Toxic Shock Syndrome develops when the common bacteria, Staphylococcus Aureus, produce a toxin which is absorbed into the bloodstream. The toxin rapidly overwhelms the immune system and attacks the major organs, leading to kidney failure, collapse of the lungs and in severe cases, cardiac arrest. Alarmingly, half of all known cases of Toxic Shock are women using TAMPONS.

Symptoms of TSS

Sore throat
Aching muscles
High temperature; over 102 degrees F
Vomiting
Watery diarrhea
Red rash
Confusion
Dizziness
Very low blood pressure

Only one or two symptoms may occur. They do not necessarily occur all at once and may not persist.

Learn more and please pass this information on to others.

Follow them on Facebook and Twitter.