GoZen! Peace Within Reach: Anxiety Relief Program

Does your child suffer from anxiety?

• Does your child cling to your leg when you have to leave?
• Does your child avoid socializing with other kids?
• Does your child lose sleep due to nervousness or fear?
• Do you find yourself frequently telling your child everything’s going to be okay?
• Are you constantly answering your child’s “What if” questions?
• Does your child just worry a lot about seemingly little things?

Where does anxiety come from?

A long time ago worry helped our ancestors survive in a dangerous environment.  If they detected a Saber-toothed cat in the grass, their worry system would put them on alert and signal them to skedaddle or else become lunch.  This is called the negativity bias and it’s a good thing.  It kept our ancestors alive so they passed it down to us.

Fortunately, we live in a much safer world now with house cats instead of saber-toothed ones. Our worry system doesn’t need to be on high alert all the time.

Children with anxiety are CONSTANTLY on high alert and seeking out danger even when there is no danger.  They are unnecessarily putting themselves in fight or flight mode. This is why children with anxiety are nervous, jittery, moody, unfocused, need constant reassurance, don’t sleep well, are overly self-critical or hypersensitive.

In short, they are not in control of their own worry.

How can GoZen help?

We teach your child how to understand and control their worry. This isn’t a magic pill or a miracle cure. It’s just good old-fashioned research and science delivered in a fun, engaging way that your child will love. And because stress, pressure and challenges are part of everyday life, these are skills your child will use forever.

Peace is within reach for your child. Your child can learn research-based skills and techniques to help them become confident, secure, happy and more in control of their body and mind. The best part? They will love to learn with fun and engaging animations.

Learn more - visit http://www.gozen.com/. 

Codependency for Dummies

By Darlene Lancer

Codependency is much more widespread than originally thought. You don’t even have to be in a relationship. Codependents have trouble accepting themselves, so they hide who they are to be accepted by someone else.

Codependency for Dummies is the most comprehensive book on the topic to date. It describes the history, symptoms, causes, and relationship dynamics of codependency and provides self-assessment questionnaires. The majority of the books devoted to healing and lays out a clear plan for recovery with exercises, practical advice, and helpful daily reminders to help you know, honor, protect, and express yourself.

It clarifies deep psychological dynamics that underlie codependency, yet is written in a conversational style that’s easily understandable by everyone.

You will learn:

• How to raise your self-esteem
• The difference between care-giving and codependent care-taking
• The difference between healthy and dysfunctional families
• How to set boundaries
• How to separate responsibility for yourself and for others
• How to overcome guilt and resentment 

Order on Amazon today!

Follow Darlene Lancer on Twitter.

Community Empowerment Series

St. Johns County Florida is getting ready for 2013 in a big way!

Starting February 2, 2013 will be a lecture series that will be like no other.

Celebrity speakers on parenting topics that can't be missed, will have limited tickets.  This event will be held at The World Golf Village Hall of Fame IMAX Theater.

Starting immediately we are accepting sponsors.  You won't want to miss this opportunity!

The levels for individuals start at $100.00 and go as high as $10,000.00 for corporate sponsors.

Please check our site for the benefits of sponsorship levels.

I am personally proud to be part of St. Johns Education Foundation and Communities in Schools for St. Johns County.  Both are excellent organizations that are always putting our kids first.

Click here to visit Community Empowerment Series and visit our renown speakers!

February 2, 2013: Stacey Honowitz
March 9, 2013: Michele Borba
April 27, 2013: Theresa Payton

Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life for Teens: A Guide to Living an Extraordinary Life

By Joseph Ciarrochi, Louie Hayes, Anne Bailey and Steven Hayes

Hundreds of thousands of people have read "Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life" to identify the things that are most important to them and give focus and direction to their lives. "Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life for Teens" finally brings these essential skills to teen readers, presenting a comprehensive acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), positive psychology, and emotional intelligence plan for moving past depression, anxiety, unhealthy behaviors, and simple self-doubt.

This engaging book follows the journey of the characters Jess and Sam as they learn to control their impulses and focus on becoming the captains of their own ship.

Readers come to see their dreams clearly and take steps to make them happen, even though these actions may risk criticism from others and cause them to feel temporarily embarrassed or afraid. By learning that feelings do not need to be translated into actions, teens learn to see their lives in the long term and gain self-control and emotion regulation skills that will serve them well as they move into adulthood.

Order on Amazon today!

Bankrupt at Birth: Why Child Identity Theft Is On The Rise & How It's Happening Under Parents' Noses

By Joe Mason

Protecting our children is second nature to most parents. We baby-proof our homes, invest in top-of-the-line car seats, and wouldn’t dream of letting our kids ride a bike without a helmet. But when it comes to protecting our kids’ Social Security numbers, all that caution is thrown to the wind. Whether it’s ignorance about the growing epidemic of identity theft or lack of awareness of the solutions, the end result is the same – our kids are exposed, and we are taking a risk they just can’t afford.

In Bankrupt at Birth, author Joe Mason uses stories and statistics to outline the problem of child identity theft and offers parents practical advice to protect their kids. Did you know that a recent study estimated that ten percent of children have or will become victims of identity theft?

* Find out the surprising truth about who is perpetrating child ID theft and why they do it.
* Get educated on the most common and sinister form of child identity theft, so you can pinpoint if your kid is a victim.
* See where your child’s Social Security number is most vulnerable and memorize the magic phrase that will help you protect it.
* Learn how your kid is (and isn’t) at risk using social media, and how to talk to them about playing a role in their own safety.
* Discover the 3 critical steps to getting the peace of mind you deserve about your child’s ID.

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It Takes a Village to Raise a Child Conference

Coming to South Florida!

When:  October 20th, 2013

When: 10:00am - 3:00pm

Where:  Miramar City Commission Chambers, 2300 Civic Center Place, Miramar, FL

It Takes a Village to Raise a Child Parenting Conference is a one-of-a-kind educational event which began four years ago in San Diego.  Susie Walton, founder and president of Indigo Village Educational Foundation, had a favorite quote, “It takes a village to raise a child.”  Susie created the Foundation – a non-profit, community-based initiative - to provide cutting-edge programs in parenting and life skills.  It serves as a vehicle to move these programs and services into the community for families regardless of their economic means.  Susie then held the first It Takes a Village to Raise a Child Parenting Conference to fund the Foundation’s vital work.

Learn more at http://www.villageconference.com/ and you can also purchase your tickets early. 

You can also contact Maggie Macaulay at 954-483-8021 for more information or email her at maggie_macaulay@msn.com.

 Be a proactive parent, grandparent and community - we will have safer kids and teens!

Forever Exposed: The Nikki Catsouras Story

By Lesli Catsouras

When Christos and Lesli Catsouras come face-to-face with the death of their daughter, Nikki, they couldn’t imagine anything worse. But when confidential and highly graphic police photographs mysteriously surface on the Web, Christos makes a shocking discovery that will haunt his family forever.

In the blink of an eye, mass email chains and websites showcasing images of their daughter’s remains swarm the Internet, portraying Nikki — a shy, unpretentious girl known for her miraculous recovery from a deadly brain tumor — as a spoiled Orange County girl who got what she deserved.

Haunted by the images, and targeted by cyberbullies, Christos and Lesli search for answers, for justice --- for help --- until they stumble across the truth that no one saw coming.

Forever Exposed is about more than the horrific aftermath brought about from the death of her daughter Nikki Catsouras. Lesli Catsouras not only weighs the significance of freedom of speech in America against the complicated issues of Cyber bullying and trolling, but also delves into the reality of how one ordinary family coped with such unimaginable circumstances.

Since 2006 the Catsouras story has been an ongoing subject of widespread public interest making headlines across the nation. Their story has been featured on The Dr. Phil Show, 20/20, CBS Evening News with Katie Couric, NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, ABC news, Fox news, CNN Headline News, Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell, Newsroom with Megan Kelly and more, including top news stories from local and international news papers, magazines, including (Newsweek and Forbes) radio and television broadcasts. 

Learn more on ForeverExposed.

Order today on Amazon.

October 1st is BLUE SHIRT DAY - World Day of Bullying Prevention

October is National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month and to signify its importance, STOMP Out Bullying™ created BLUE SHIRT DAY™ WORLD DAY OF BULLYING PREVENTION.

BLUE SHIRT DAY™ WORLD DAY OF BULLYING PREVENTION

Join them in this fourth annual grassroots effort. Someone you know could be bullied. Someone you know might be a bully. Join them in solidarity on Monday, October1st! Make a statement against bullying and cyberbullying and STOMP Out Bullying™! Specifically the first Monday of every October -- this year on Monday 10-1-12  we’re asking kids, teens and adults to participate in BLUE SHIRT DAY™ WORLD DAY OF BULLYING PREVENTION by wearing a BLUE SHIRT in solidarity to STOMP Out Bullying™.

GO BLUE
Our new "limited edition" 2012 Blue Shirt are on sale NOW!! 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.


GET YOUR SCHOOL INVOLVED
Ask your school to participate on 10-1-12 by having the entire school -- students and faculty -- GO BLUE and wear a Blue Shirt! Thousands of schools across the country are participating. We want to see every school in a SEA OF BLUE across the country and throughout the world!  

If your school wants to participate all you need to do is COMPLETE THIS FORM giving us the name of your school, it’s city and state and we'll add your school's name to our BLUE SHIRT DAY™ WORLD DAY OF BULLYING PREVENTION supporter list on our website.

Stop Medicine Abuse: New Website

Medicine abuse and teens unfortunate is not new, but this year www.StopMedicineAbuse.org rolled out a new and updated website full of educational tools, downloads, brochures, posters, and other resources to help your and your family and community fight medicine abuse.

About them:

The prevention campaign StopMedicineAbuse.org and its Five Moms initiative is working to alert parents and members of the community about the problem of teen abuse of over-the-counter (OTC) cough medicines containing dextromethorphan (DXM).

In 2004, national surveys began to track abuse of over-the-counter (OTC) cough medicine among teens. Experts predicted, “abuse among adolescents most likely will increase, as the drug is relatively easy to obtain and inexpensive.  Moreover, adolescents perceive the risk in abusing the drug as low.”
This was a call to action.

To fight the potential rise of teen DXM use, the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) launched the Five Moms: Stopping Cough Medicine Abuse campaign to raise awareness about teen DXM abuse and offer peer-to-peer guidance on how to prevent it. Following the success of the Five Moms campaign, CHPA created StopMedicineAbuse.org to serve as the online home for Five Moms and provide valuable resources for parents and their communities. Together, these initiatives have reached millions of parents to date.

Fearless Parenting: Raising a Child to Face the Adult World

By Harry H. Harrison Jr.

Childhood is short. Adulthood however, is for a very long time. And it’s waiting. And for millions of kids about to fly out of the house, adulthood is going to be a scary, hopeless existence because they are simply unprepared to face it.

The reason is us. Parents. Somehow, many of us have lost our way.

And that’s creating a looming generation of kids who can’t face life on its own terms, who continue to live with parents well into their 30s, who have little job skills, who collapse under the stress being told “No”, who believe “trying hard” should insure success, who haven’t seen a priest or a rabbi in two decades, and who have absolutely no idea on how to function in the adult world.

What's gone wrong? As parents we live in fear. Fear our children aren’t happy enough, they’re not popular enough, they’re not safe enough, they don’t have enough, they have to work too hard, and that they’re not being treated fairly. This fear shapes the way we raise them. Instead of teaching them how to struggle, we eliminate struggle from their lives. Instead of teaching them how to persevere, we tell them not to try so hard. Instead of teaching them to do without, we teach them all they have to do is ask.

Instead of teaching them to be adventurous we make them risk adverse. Instead of teaching them how to succeed, we teach them to be happy because we’ve succeeded. So our kids grow up parent dependent instead of independent.

The good news is, we can change. Instead of focusing on giving our kids the most fantastic childhood ever, with just a few little attitude adjustments, we can work to prepare them for adulthood. To give them tools to succeed instead of reasons for failure. We can teach them to value honor and integrity over “cool” and “sexy.”

We can show them how to earn self-esteem, handle defeat and persevere when the going gets tough. We can help our children gain the confidence to face the world. Fearless Parenting is based on ten years of interviews I’ve done to complete eight books on parenting, marriage and raising children. It contains specific strategies you can use today to begin preparing your kids for the most difficult task of their lives:

Growing up.

Order on Amazon today - Click here.

Tale of a Baseball Dream

By Jerry Pearlman

Tale of A Baseball Dream is the fictitious story of Dusty Hunter, a young boy that grew up with a love to play baseball. Dusty was small in stature, but proved to have a “big heart,” as he overcame many obstacles and disappointments, in his efforts to become a great baseball player.

When Dusty’s dream appeared that it would end in disappointment, Dusty tromped through the mud to the baseball field where he and his dad had spent many days practicing, and in all of his anger and frustrations, he proceeded to toss baseballs in the air and began hitting them with a vengeance.

By fate, destiny, or miracle, Will Parker, an elderly professional scout for the New Jersey Force baseball team, happened to almost get knocked down by a ball that Dusty hit! Will Parker was only there that day, by the coincidence that he had boarded the wrong flight, and was completely lost.

Mr. Parker was nearing retirement, and had previously been thought of as a “failure,” since he had never discovered a star player for the New Jersey Force.

The New Jersey Force were known as the team haunted for almost a century, by the legendary “Curse of The Great Brutester!”

Tale of A Baseball Dream evolves into a magical tale which will inspire all young readers!

Order on Amazon today!

Back to School: Stop Medicine Abuse

StopMedicineAbuse.org was created by the leading makers of OTC cough medicines and their trade association, the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA).

CHPA, founded in 1881, is a member-based association representing the leading manufacturers of over-the-counter medicines. CHPA and its members are involved in a multi-pronged effort to curb the abuse of over-the-counter cough medicines containing dextromethorphan with the help of a host of partners. Included in those other concerned organizations are the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America, and D.A.R.E. America.

In addition to preventing the abuse of OTC medicines, CHPA and its members also work to provide information on the safe and responsible use of medications through the nonprofit CHPA Educational Foundation.

Learn about the abuse of OTC:

Recent studies among middle and high school aged kids across the country show a disturbing form of substance abuse among teens: the intentional abuse of otherwise beneficial medications, both prescription (Rx) and over-the-counter (OTC), to get high.

Teens who learn a lot about the risks of drugs from their parents are 50 percent less likely to use drugs.

According to data from the 2011 Monitoring the Future Study, teen past-year abuse of over-the-counter (OTC) cough medicine has remained at roughly 5 percent.



The ingredient the teens are abusing in OTC cough medicines is dextromethorphan, or DXM. When used according to label directions, DXM is a safe and effective ingredient approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and is found in well over 100 brand-name and store-brand over-the-counter cough medicines. When abused in large amounts, DXM can be dangerous.

StopMedicineAbuse.org was developed by the leading makers of OTC cough medicines to build awareness about this type of substance abuse behavior, provide tips to prevent it from happening, and encourage parents to safeguard their medicine cabinets. Substance abuse can touch any family: The key to keeping teens drug-free is education and talking about the dangers of abuse.
 
Join them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

Be an educated parent, you will have safer and healthier teens.