kids

Losing Mom of the Year…Again…

8
13 years
by in Being a Mom, kids, Parenting

It’s great to see that my big flops as a Mom can get me published on Psychology Today and even featured in their Notable Quotes!

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/passive-aggressive-diaries/201109/there-goes-mom-the-year-honors-my-award-winning-lesson-person

Stop Bullying: Speak Up

5
13 years
by in Being a Mom, building self-esteem in girls, bullying, cyberbullying, kids, Parenting

If you didn’t see it live, check out AC 360’s first segment from tonight’s broadcast, on the subject of Stopping Bullying.  A sad, sad story about the recent suicide of a 14 year old young man from New York, a maddening and unconscionable set of interviews from claim-to-be-Christian groups, and a brilliant pair of interviews from Rosalind Wiseman and Rachel Simmons.

Also, check out Anderson Cooper’s Stop Bullying: Speak Up Pledge via Facebook.

Sticks & Stones: A Four Year Old’s First Experience with Bullying

6
13 years
by in anger, Being a Mom, building self-esteem in girls, bullying, friends, kids, Parenting

Check me out on the Huff Post:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/signe-whitson/sticks-and-stones-a-littl_b_960576.html

No, seriously, please check me out there.  It’s job security.

Read it.  Tweet it.  Share it.  Like it.

I’m so bossy.

 

Sweethearts and Heroes

1125
13 years
by in bullying, cyberbullying, friends, kids

Over the years, I have met the most interesting and inspiring people, working in the field of child and adolescent mental health.   Through my work in helping kids develop skills to cope effectively with bullying, this list has instantly multiplied!

Check out Sweethearts and Heroes, a most unique and engaging organization founded jointly by a professional MMA fighter and a teacher.  Through teacher training, parent presentations, and assemblies geared especially for middle and high school audiences, Sweethearts and Heroes is developing strategies to put an end to bullying.

 “Through knowledge and communication we are committed to bringing our message to individual communities; not only to help the victims, but especially to empower bystanders to make a difference.  We all have the potential to be someone’s hero.” 

Check this innovative non-profit out on Facebook and add them to your Favorite pages.  You can also read about one of their recent school presentations, and watch co-founder Tom Murphy in action here: http://rochester.ynn.com/content/all_news/western_ny/557390/students-get-anti-bullying-tips-from-mma-fighter/

4 Rules for Using Assertive Communication to Stand Up to Bullies

583
13 years
by in anger, angry smile, assertiveness, Being a Mom, building self-esteem in girls, bullying, cyberbullying, friends, kids, Parenting

As sure as kids will go back to school each Fall in the U.S., bullying will be encountered in the classroom each school year. In these early days of August and September classes, would-be bullies are getting a feel for who they think might be an easy mark in the class. As the days wear on and a bully confirms that he or she can pick on specific classmates without their standing up for themselves, the bullying escalates. (more…)

Confessions of a Former Bully

1189
13 years
by in assertiveness, Being a Mom, building self-esteem in girls, bullying, cyberbullying, friends, internet, kids, online, Parenting

In Friendship & Other Weapons, I feature an activity for girls based on Trudy Ludwig’s fantastic book, My Secret Bully.  The book is all about how bullying can be disguised as friendship and how particularly painful this type of subtle, hidden, “I Was Just Kidding” aggression can be.  My Secret Bully also offers kids great insights into how to cope with bullying effectively, from sharing experiences with trusted adults to standing up for themselves.  I love it–a definite favorite!

Trudy Ludwig’s most recent book, Confessions of a Former Bully, also provides great ideas and insights for handling bullying.  The following blog post, from the School Counselor Blog, talks about an activity that one school counselor has developed, based on Ludwig’s new work:

http://www.schcounselor.com/2011/09/i-made-bully-hat.html#comment-form

Pretty’s Got Nothing To Do With It

4
13 years
by in Being a Mom, building self-esteem in girls, kids, media messages, Parenting

You may have heard the furor over JC Penny’s recent back-to-school T-Shirt for girls that read, “I’m Too Pretty to do My Homework, So My Brother Has to do it for Me.”

Check out Pigtail Pals’ response, via their newest T-shirt design for little girls:

http://margotmagowan.wordpress.com/2011/09/12/the-t-shirt-thats-changing-the-world/

How to Help Kids Handle Big Feelings

168
13 years
by in anger, assertiveness, Being a Mom, kids, Parenting

This is a great post from Kidlutions: Solutions for Kids.  It talks about how easy it is to say the wrong thing, even when you have the right intentions…but also how simple it can be to validate a child’s big feelings and teach him or her how to cope with them.

 

Personally, as a mom of a girl whose intense temperament makes her a force to be reckoned with–in both good and challenging ways–I can”t wait to read the follow up Part 2!

 

http://www.facebook.com/notes/kidlutions-solutions-for-kids/you-dont-really-feel-that-waypart-i/10150290610751889

Waking Up Full of Awesome: Pigtail Pals

240
13 years
by in assertiveness, Being a Mom, building self-esteem in girls, kids, media messages

This is one of the best, most girl power-ful posts I have ever read.  Love it, love the organization!

Please check them out:

http://blog.pigtailpals.com/2011/08/waking-up-full-of-awesome/

What Moms Can Do About Mean Girls

6
13 years
by in assertiveness, Being a Mom, building self-esteem in girls, bullying, cyberbullying, friends, kids, Parenting, parents

Not only is Maggie Lamond Simone a hilariously funny writer with great insights into parenting, but she’s also a redhead.  What’s not to love?

Check out her great article on “Mean Girls” from the Huff Post.  Apparently, she and I have more in common than just the hair; in her article and in Friendship & Other Weapons, we both write about parents helping kids cope with bullying by teaching them critical skills, such as standing up for themselves, reaching out to others who are being bullied, championing what they like about themselves, and not tolerating meanness.

 

“If we help our girls develop/retain their self-esteem, there’s a better chance they will be neither bully nor victim.”

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/maggie-lamond-simone/mean-girls_b_937810.html?icid=maing-grid10|htmlws-main-bb|dl16|sec1_lnk3|92426

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Signe Whitson is an author and educator on bullying, crisis intervention, and child and adolescent emotional and behavioral health. In her articles, books, and training workshops, Signe provides down-to-earth, practical advice for professionals and parents on navigating the daily challenges of living and working with children, tweens and teens.

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