On Wednesday, Maddey Nelson will join others across the country and write the word “love” on her arm. The movement, started by supporters of the nonprofit To Write Love on Her Arms, aims to raise awareness and prevent self-injury.
Strong awareness about Bullying
More stories about bullying of late which can only be good news as more and more awareness is raised. Standing up for Shea is a local story that’s gone nationally. CNN has an excellent story on countering online bullying. This weekend the NFL and the Miami Dolphins are having to deal with the fallout from serious allegations of bullying within their football locker room. The Dolphins have suspended one of their best players for conduct detrimental to the team. I applaud the hulking, 300 lb. Jonathan Martin for taking a stand in a profession and culture like professional football. The positive impact of his courage will empower both children and adults who deal with this abuse at school or in the workplace. Ben Leichtling, founder of BulliesBeGone, says “bulling is not only about kids. It happens all the time, in every culture, with people at every age, in every situation, and always has.”
Are your kids getting enough zzzz’s?
Don’t forget their sleep. Still more research indicating the importance of sleep. We so often neglect this in the interest of homework, extracurriculars and the busy-ness of life. Teenagers, too!
Internet addiction
First treatment center for Internet addiction opens in the U.S. We are evidently behind other countries in recognizing and treating this problem. Internet addiction isn’t officially recognized as a mental disorder. However, the recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders cites “Gaming Addiction” as an area for further research. Here’s hoping this area gets the attention it deserves by clinicians and researchers. I know we are behind this problem not out in front of it.
Father-Daughter Dance before dying
Dr. James Wolf is losing his battle with pancreatic cancer. He has 4-6 months to live. His mission in life has been to make a difference. He’s got nothing to worry about because he’s done that for the most important person, his daughter, Rachel.
Charlie Brown is good for your mental health
Why watching Charlie Brown could be much better for your children than movies like Kung Fu Panda, Wreck It Ralph, Turbo and Planes. Tough lessons about failure and humility vs “You can do anything” movies that reinforce the cult of self esteem. Younger generations often suffer from narcissism because they take it for granted that we should all feel good about ourselves, we are all special and we all deserve to follow our dreams.
The Predator Test
I watched Headline News’ hour long special on Children’s Safety and the Predator Test with my two kids. HLN’s Kyra Phillips put 20 children to the test, seven of which failed. My 10 year old would have passed but my 6 year old fell for it hook, line and sinker. Teaching “Stranger Danger” can be misleading because most predators act nice, kind and unassuming.
Does your child watch too much TV?
The top predictor of how much TV a child watches is how much the parents watch. Just one more lesson proving our kids emulate what we do rather than what we say or tell them to do.
Don’t ignore sibling aggression
Turns out it ranks just as damaging as peer to peer bullying. What many consider as a normal, healthy aspect of growing up is anything but healthy. This is especially prevalent and needs attention during the summer months when siblings are home alone or spend increasing amounts of time together.
Depression leading cause of disability in the U.S.
The CDC released a study that says suicide now kills more Americans than car accidents. The World Health Organization estimates that by 2030 Depression will be an epidemic. I think we’ll all agree with this doctor who says we’ve got a major problem on our hands.
