Posts tagged Friendship & Other Weapons

Enter to Win a Free Copy of Friendship & Other Weapons

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12 years
by in assertiveness, Being a Mom, building self-esteem in girls, bullying, Friendship & Other Weapons, How to Be Angry

Enter to win a free, signed copy of Friendship & Other Weapons: Group Activities to Help Young Girls Cope With Bullying.  Click here or on the link below to visit Mom Does Reviews for drawing rules and your chance to win.  While you’re there, check out all of the nice things this reviewer had to say about my book 🙂

http://momdoesreviews.com/2012/06/03/friendship-and-other-weapons-help-girls-cope-with-bullying-review-and-giveaway-ends-615/

 

If you are interested in receiving a review copy of Friendship & Other Weapons or How to Be Angry: An Assertive Anger Expression Group Guide for Kids and Teens, please email me at Signe@signewhitson.com

 

 

 

When it Comes to Bullying, Real Change Happens Person to Person & Heart to Heart

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12 years
by in building self-esteem in girls, bullying
This is a great story about how small, simple, structured programs in schools can make a HUGE differences in the lives of kids.  I love this one especially because it demonstrates that the lives of the “buddies” are bettered just as much as the lives of the special needs kids they are partnered with.
 
We don’t need complicated, costly ways to stop bullying…the best programs are the ones that encourage change person to person & heart to heart.
 

Being Perfectly Imperfect: In the Words of Rachel Simmons

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13 years
by in Being a Mom, building self-esteem in girls, Parenting

Rachel Simmons is one of the first people to inspire me to work in the field of girl bullying. I love what she says here to girls–encouraging them to own their feelings and accept their imperfections.  I also love the practical skill set she encourages: giving girls a framework for analyzing what they can do better and what they did well in particular aspects of their lives. 

http://networkedblogs.com/y0tH3?a=share

 

While you are checking out Rachel’s video, be sure to browse around the Toward the Stars site–it’s a brand new initiative launched by the visionary Ines Almeida.  Her “tribe’s” purpose is to help reduce the threats to girlhood that crush girls ‘ true nature and potential.   Her dream is to create a unique marketplace focused on changing gender stereotypes that  cause girls to obsess over body image, keep them from taking leadership roles, and limit girls’ interests in sciences and math.

Highlights from an Interview with Trudy Ludwig

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13 years
by in building self-esteem in girls, bullying, cyberbullying

Check out these great excerpts from a recent interview about bullying with bestselling children’s author, Trudy Ludwig.  She is the author of My Secret Bully, which I recommend most highly and center one of my chapters around in Friendship & Other Weapons.

http://www.naturallyeducational.com/2012/05/my-secret-bully/

 

I especially love the definitions of rude vs. mean vs. bullying and her highlighting of issues such as the power of allies and the importance of restorative justice.

What Parents Can Do About Cyberbullying

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

A good friend just let me know that last week, this article that I wrote for the Huffington Post was featured on AOL’s home page–very exciting!  I hope it provides some helpful tips and strategies for parents, as they help a very tech-savvy generation become bully-savvy as well.  Here’s an excerpt:

 

At not-quite-nine, I am still amazed everyday at how natural and intuitive technology usage is to my daughter and to all of her peers who have grown up with computers, cell phones, tablets and texting as part of their everyday lives. I am also aware, however, that things like Internet Safety, Cyberbullying and “Netiquette” may not register on her radar the same way they do on mine.

When she was very young, I worried about the unknown: online predators who could try to trick her into revealing personal information so that they could cause her physical harm. Now, in her tween years, I know that “stranger danger” is still a threat, but I spend more of my time worrying about the known: frenemies from her daily life who may use taunting texts, humiliating social media posts and viral videos to cause her emotional harm. It’s no wonder that when she begs me (at least once daily) for a cell phone, I feel chills run up and down my spine.

No matter how tech-savvy my daughter becomes, I am constantly aware that she is young and that it is up to me to monitor her safety and well-being with technology in the same consistent, diligent way that I ensure her well-being on a playground. These basic rules are our first line of defense in minimizing (I’m too wise to think that “preventing” is realistic) cyberbullying and using technology in safe, respectful ways:

 

To read about the six strategies I suggest to parents, please visit the HuffingtonPost or click this link:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/signe-whitson/cyberbullying_b_1462459.html

Stop Bullying Workshops and Book Signing at Barnes & Noble

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13 years
by in bullying
Had a lot of fun posing as a bestselling author yesterday! Special thanks to the parents and awesome kids who stopped by to participate in my Stop Bullying Workshops and book signing!
 

Talking about Bullying on the Kathleen Dunn Show

0
13 years
by in anger, Being a Mom, bullying, cyberbullying

This morning, I had the great opportunity to join Public Radio host, Kathleen Dunn, and US Dept. of Education representative, Deborah Tempkin for an hour to talk about what parents, schools, and peers can do to stop bullying and cyber-bullying.   While I much prefer being a writer…and being able to liberally revise my responses until I find just the right words…I did love the interaction with Kathleen and Deborah and with the callers who phoned, emailed, and tweeted their questions to the show.  It was a lively discussion, sparked by the recent bullying-related suicide of a young man from Sioux City, Iowa. 

 

Have a listen: http://wpr.org/wcast/download-mp3-request.cfm?mp3file=dun120424d.mp3&iNoteID=154970

 

The one thing I’ve been kicking myself about all day is my response to the two callers who talked about physical retaliations as being the best answer to the problem of bullying.  I found myself a little tongue-tied during both conversations.  The point I wanted to make–and that I do make when I have the luxury of writing on the subject instead of answering on-air–is that while physical retaliations may seem to solve the problem in the moment, they are not the mark of a civilized society and are never the kind of skill that best serve children in the long-term.   I do believe with all of my heart that children need skills to know how to stand up for themselves, but never do I believe that revenge–particularly physical aggression–is an advisable response. 

Yes, We Are Talking About Bullying More! That’s the Good News.

0
13 years
by in anger, assertiveness, Being a Mom, bullying, media messages, Parenting

In both my scheduled workshops and my casual conversations on the topic of bullying, professionals and parents often ask me, “Is bullying really worse today than it was when we were kids?”

My answer to that question is an emphatic, “Yes.”

The 24/7 availability of cell phones, instant messaging, e-mails and social networking sites have intensified the impact of bullying, giving young people private ways to humiliate each other under-the-radar of adults and public ways to spread rumors and gossip to large-scale audiences.

To read the rest of this story, please visit the HuffingtonPost or click the link below.

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/signe-whitson/bullying_b_1433675.html

The One and Only Right Way to Parent

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13 years
by in Being a Mom, Parenting

It’s a banner week for me, as far as finding Mama-friends who hit the ball out of the park with their writing and reflections on motherhood.  Check out this awesome post, by blogger Lisa Kaplan, who talks about over-watered first-borns (don’t we all have one?), living in glass houses, and developing some much needed empathy for one other.  LOVE it!

 

http://buffalogrove.patch.com/blog_posts/the-one-and-only-right-way-to-parent

8 Things I Want to Tell my 8-Year Old Daughter

0
13 years
by in Being a Mom, building self-esteem in girls, Parenting

I stumbled upon this WONDERFUL, put-a-smile-in-your-heart article yesterday and knew it was too good not to share!  With gracious permission from its author, the wise and inspiring Dr. Jennifer Shewmaker, I present to you, “8 Things I Want to Tell My 8-Year Old Daughter:”

 

My youngest daughter turned 8 years old this week. This means that she has moved into the world of tweens. Tween marketing is commonly focused on kids between the ages of 8-12 years, and it has become a stage in life when a mini version of adulthood is being promoted as fun and appropriate. But my girl is still so young. Having gone through this stage with my two older daughters, I want so much for her to hold on to and enjoy her childhood. There’s no reason to rush into being a teenager at the age of 8! And yet, that is a vision that I see in so many programs and products marketed to her. As she turns eight, these are eight things that I want her to know:

  1. Your uniqueness is what makes you amazing: As you enter the tween years, you’re going to feel pressure to be like everyone else, to follow the crowd, to not stand out. But the things that make you different are what make you original, uniquely you. Love those things about yourself; from your freckles to your love for animals to the way you feel things so strongly.
  1. Enjoy being a kid: You will be a teenager soon enough, and then an adult. Don’t stifle your exuberance, your love to laugh and run and play because it makes you look like a kid. You are a kid! Chase butterflies, play pretend, wear clothes that don’t match, run as fast as you can and play in the mud!
  1. Believe in your dreams: As I got older, I realized that everyone didn’t believe that I could do things I thought I could. I know that you’re going to feel that too, and that it will hurt your heart. But the voices of those who don’t believe are no stronger than your own. If you believe deep in your heart that you should pursue something then let’s do it!
  1. If you don’t risk, you’ll never know: It’s easy to play it safe and avoid taking risks in life, both big and small. But if you don’t risk, you’ll never know what might have happened. Whether it’s learning a new sport, trying a new food, or making a new friend, go out there and live your life fully.
  1.   You are more than your looks: My precious daughter, you may notice that people suddenly want to tell you that you should be plucking, shaving, coloring, glossing, making-up and whatever else to make you look better. You may suddenly worry about the hair on your legs or the freckles on your nose or the cowlick in your hair. If you’re not careful, it’s so easy to begin to believe that what really matters about you is how you look. But you are so much more than that! You are brilliant, strong, passionate, curious, kind, and more! Know that these are the things that are most important about you, not the way you look.
  1. Know that I am here: For the past years, I have always been here for you whether it’s been to give a hug, wipe a tear, share a laugh, or have an adventure. As you get older, it may get harder to talk to me. You may have feelings that you don’t understand. You may struggle with friendships and romantic relationships. You may struggle with feelings about yourself. Please know that I am still here for you, whenever and however you need me. Whether you need to talk out a disagreement with a teacher or make a big decision, my arms, ears, and heart are always open to you.
  1.  You were born to shine: I believe with all my heart that you were born with a purpose, that you can make this world a better place using your unique gifts and talents. Never forget that you were born to shine the beauty of your unique individuality on this old world and make it brighter.
  1.   Love other people: Even when they don’t deserve it, even when they hurt you, even when they make you mad. Let love for others fill your heart so that it flows out of you to touch the lives of those around you. It’s easy to share hate, bitterness, and rudeness. It’s so much harder to turn to hate with love, to look at the person who is being mean to you and see someone who needs mercy. But the world would be a better place if we all learned to do that. You can’t make other people love, but you can choose to love.

 

Dr. Jennifer W. Shewmaker is a nationally certified school psychologist and licensed specialist who has worked with hundreds of families, children, and teachers in her career.  She is the current director of the School Psychology specialist program and an Associate Professor of Psychology at Abilene Christian University. Along with writing and presenting research at professional conferences, Dr. Shewmaker provides media literacy workshops that help parents, teachers, and children learn to more closely examine media messages and plan a thoughtful, effective response. She is the author of the blog Don’t Conform Transform at  http://www.jennifershewmaker.com.

 

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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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