Conversation Starter: Life Standing by S. L. Mauldin

Teenagers today are dealing with a host of issues. Many of them were present when we were younger, but times have changed. This means that all of these issues, such as bullying, stereotyping, and even death have a different face today. Readers are giving this book rave reviews and highly suggest it for parents and teachers to read with teens as a way to spark conversations.

Life Sliding

As Gavin’s junior year comes to a close, he faces an inner conflict with his status as the most popular kid in high school. It’s not lost on his father, who sensed for some time that his overly indulged son needs redirection. Making matters worse for Gavin, his dad sends him away for the summer to assist at a camp for children with special needs.

Arriving at camp Life Me Up, Gavin is suddenly forced to dabble in a world less familiar. After his first uncomfortable encounter with a strange girl with multi-colored fingernails, who refuses to waiver his arrogant behavior, Gavin comes face to face with a person from the past, which leaves him uneasy.

Inevitably, three people clash and collide, but when tragedy strikes, they come to an understanding regarding their differences. Becoming a young adult, Gavin faces a summer of harsh lessons in reality. Once he crosses the bridge from a self-inflicted prison to the road to freedom, Gavin and his new friends implement a strategy to stir up the social order when they return to school in the fall.

Because of one jaded person jumping to conclusions, the plan backfires. Will they be able to survive the fallout of what they’ve put into motion? #LifeSliding

Available on Amazon

Paperback / Kindle / Audible

Midwestern Book Review: 

“Life Sliding” is a compelling read from beginning to end and clearly demonstrates author S. L. Mauldin’s original and exceptionally gifted storytelling talents. While very highly recommended for school and community library YA Fiction collections..."

About S. L. Mauldin

S. L. Mauldin is an optioned screenwriter and the author of the young adult novel Life Sliding and the forthcoming teen fiction novel Always Here. Shannon was born in the suburbs of Atlanta, where he now resides and continues to write books for teens, but stories relatable to readers beyond those turbulent adolescent years. Currently, S. L. Mauldin is preparing a live stage presentation of Life Sliding and is in pre-development of the feature film.

I was compensated via Fiverr for sharing this post.

Promoting Positive Power: A program for teachers and students by Marguerite Clancy

About the Program:

Promoting Positive Power is a program that aims at solving the issues which may lead to violence. This program is designed for teachers who wants to be on the top of their game. The book is a major breakthrough for teachers because it will help their students improve on their behavior as they will learn skills that will help them manage their emotions. Invest in the Program, Promoting Positive Power offers the skills and techniques to inspire students to achieve to their potential through joy and humor. 

The book is aimed at developing:

• Self-esteem and Self-confidence.
• Skills to Manage Emotions.
• Skills of Goal Setting. 
• Communication Skills.
• Conflict resolution Skills.
• Techniques to Handle Bullying and much, much more.

The techniques that are in the books include:

• Meditation, Visualization and Positive Thinking.
• Humor.
• EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), a technique which has proved very powerful in modern healing. 
• Song Writing
• Time Management.

With these techniques the teacher should be well assured that the students will have a change of behavior which will in turn help the teaching-learning process.

Some of the benefits of this program include:

• Behavior will improve as students learn to manage their emotions.
• Possibility of Violence and bullying will decrease as students have anger management skills.
• Academic achievement will increase as students set goals and manage their time effectively.

Promoting Positive Power consists of:

• A Teacher’s Manual.
• A Student Book.
• A DVD on Song Writing by Song Writer, Sean Batchelor.
• A DVD on how to use EFT narrated by Sean Batchelor.

Available on the website:

http://www.promotepositivepower.com/

About Marguerite Clancy: 

Marguerite Clancy has much experience working with children and families as a teacher, teacher adviser, counsellor, life coach, and in private practice. She researched ADHD in and Internationally for her Master Degree in education. She is also trained in Sandplay Therapy, Clay Therapy, and EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique).

'The Bully Blueprint' by Virgil A. Greer III

Blurb:

The new book titled The Bully Blue Print offers a complete and comprehensive insight in to the mind of a bully, the victims of bullying and how to deal with both.

• Learn more on why your child is refusing to tell you that they are being bullied at school
• Obtain an in-depth knowledge on the reasons for bullying
• Understand bully victims better and help them out on a prompt basis
• Teach your kids on how to spot bullies and what type of behavior constitutes bullying
• Help rebuild your kids’ self-esteem and grow in to strong and independent individuals
• Save up on the costs of endless hours of counseling, therapies and support groups
• Explore some of the most efficient ways for your kids to deal with bullies
• Debunk popular myths about bullies and break away from stereotyping
• Identify the different types of bullying, such as physical, emotional and cyber.

Written by an expert in the field, this book is written in a straightforward manner and offers practical guidance on how to help your kids overcome bullies and build up their self-esteem.

Buy your copy from the website!

http://www.thebullyblueprint.com/

About the author:

• 5th Degree Black Belt Certified Master Instructor through the World Taekwondo Federation in Korea
• Owner and operator of U.S. Elite Martial Arts Since 2003. 
• Involved with martial arts since the age of 10

Master Virgil A. Greer, Born in Akron, Ohio Master Virgil A. Greer III walked into his first training hall at the age of ten, in his home town of Akron Ohio. He began his path in martial arts in 1990 and has been teaching actively for 20 years, 14 since relocation to northwest Chicago suburbs and opening U.S. Elite Martial Arts & Fitness Center in Arlington Heights, IL .

He is passionate about instilling the traditional values of respect, focus, self-discipline, self-control and dedication. Master Greer’s experience andpassion for martial arts is seen in the way he teaches. His coaching expertise works for kids of the youngest ages all the way up to adults who wish to learn.

His training sessions are designed for everyone involved whether they are looking to just get in great shape or they are looking to take it up a level and compete at National level. These basic principals shine through in his teaching methods and are a core value of the school.

He has formed an extremely dedicated team of instructors who are all passionate about mentoring students in physical training and mental development.

It is their hope that every student who comes to the martial arts mat will experience growth and excellence in every area of their lives.

In the recent years Virgil A. Greer III has recognized the damage bullying has had on our community and young children, which had led him to become a Certified Bully Expert and utilizing a curriculum that has been taught to students in hundreds of schools nationwide. Also Master Greer has recently written and released a book titled “The Bully Blueprint” a parents guide to understanding and dealing with bullies. Our anti-bullying approach is unique because it provides bully-proofing strategies for all — whether students are directly targeted by bullies or they are witnesses who must learn how to effectively intervene. Some of the concepts are based on professional protocol known as Verbal Judo, which has been street-tested and used by law enforcement and public safety professionals for over 28 years.

'How to Keep Your Teens Safe Online' by Rebecca Thomas

Description
If you are reading this, there's a good chance you think your child might be in danger on the Internet. I suspect that you don't want to approach your child about it because you have no proof.

You want to know vital information such as when, where or with whom your child was doing dangerous things online. I have written a guide that shows you how to determine this, and it's absolutely FREE! I just want to share my findings.

This SAFETY GUIDE eBook will help you keep your child safe in a dangerous online world. You will get over 20 pages of information from my research including:

☆ Signs your Teen is Involved with Dangerous Activities Online
☆ Things Teens do to Cover Their Tracks
☆ How to Tell if Your Teen is Lying
☆ Technology's Effect on Teenage Development
☆ Top 10 Technology Dangers for Teens
☆ How to Know the Truth About What They're Doing
☆ Dealing With Hurtful Information and How to Discuss It
☆ Teen Technology Statistics
☆ Computer Monitoring Info
☆ Smartphone Monitoring Info
☆ Tablet Monitoring Info

Download it from Google Play today!

Currently rated 4.6 out of 5 stars!
Also available at http://www.safeteenguide.com/

Compatible with all Google devices. Click here to download it for FREE today!

Support 'I See You: Anti-Bullying Lesson Plan with Film (Teaches literature and tolerance)'

Support the anti-bullying campaign

'I See You'

a film by Cinti Laird

It takes a village to raise a kid. Bullying is a problem that is even more prevalent than ever. We need to attack the problem before it starts, helping younger children learn to not be bullies.

This film seeks to do just that.

When you support this film campaign, you can also get access to anti-bullying lesson plans for your classroom or to share with a whole school.

Visit the IndieGoGo page directly for more information.

Visit the website for the film for more video.

Thank you for your support!

'Are Your Kids Getting Bullied in Their Own Homes?' Article by Mary Jo Rapini

As the holiday season approaches in this digital age, remember that your child is still connected to everyone at school, even though there is a break. This means that your child can still be bullied, even when not confronted with the offenders in person. Psychotherapist Mary Jo Rapini is also the coauthor of Start Talking: A Girl's Guide for You and Your Mom about Health, Sex, or Whatever. Here she explains to parents how to look for signs of bullying, even when your child is not at school, and how to help.

Are Your kids are getting bullied

in their own homes?         

by Mary Jo Rapini, MEd, LPC

The holidays are right around the corner and you are probably already making plans to visit friends and family. The kids are off from school, and you are looking forward to not having routines and school activities. Even though you sense peacefulness at this time without the hubbub, your child may not. Your child did not leave their "world" behind at school. Their world is increasingly the life they have online. It is the texts, the emails, the Facebook, and the Myspace. You can be a great parent in all aspects; however, if you don't understand who your child is talking to online, what they are experiencing or who is coming into your home over the phone or computer, you are missing an important aspect of your child's life. Facebook, Time Warner and Cartoon Network recently announced the launch of an anti-bullying campaign to help change lives and make children safe from bullying. The national exposure of this campaign is exactly what this severe issue needs--public awareness and request for action. Parents are always more powerful in their children's life if they form a united front. Below are tips for parents who have children using the Internet, social media networks and cell phones.

Discussions, discussions, and more discussions. Parents must have a basic knowledge about what's going on in their kid's online worlds from a verbal and physical standpoint. Since social networking has become a daily routine for kids, it needs to be part of the daily conversation. The more open you are with your kids and facilitate a safe and non-judgmental environment for conversation, the more likely they are to tell you if they come across an issue. In addition to talking to kids about cyberbullying, parents should spread the word to other parents and act as a true advocate for the issue. The more you talk about it, the more useful information you can share. Comment on blogs, forward news stories, "re-share" on Facebook, stand up at the PTO meeting--use any communications necessary to get your voice heard. Take the time. The good news is that with a national campaign, there will be information, discussions, surveys, resources and solutions everywhere. Take the extra time to read and comprehend the information to make yourself knowledgeable on the issues and to act as a resource to other parents and kids.

Learn the warning signs. As mentioned, information will be more available from a reference perspective so take advantage of it. Learn about the warning signs of bullying so that you can recognize it in your own child or any child. Remember that a sudden, drastic change in your child's behavior might mean something is going on. Below are just a few signs of bullying, but don't forget to trust your instincts: *  Torn, damaged, or missing pieces of clothing, books, or other    belongings *  Unexplained cuts, bruises, and scratches *  Fear of going to school, walking to and from school, riding the    school bus, or taking part with peers in organized activities *  No interest in school or their grades *  Weepy, sad, moody, or depressed after school behaviors *  Complaints of headaches, stomachaches or other physical    ailments *  Loss of appetite or weight gain *  Anxiousness or low-self-esteem Teach children exactly what to do if they get an offensive or threatening post or comment. Take every opportunity to teach them how to manage themselves in confusing situations and when to bring the issues to you; when they do, believe them and show your support.

The Golden Rule does apply to online interactions. It may be the first rule taught to kids: "Do unto others as you would have done to you." You set the expectations for manners and appropriate behavior. Coach them to behave online as you have taught them in real life.  Digital manners need to be reinforced just as regular manners do. While you are taking the necessary measures to stop bullying and get more involved in what is going on online, there are a few other items that parents should pay attention to while monitoring social networking sites for cyberbullying: * Friends and connections - Make sure you know them all. Kids are likely to accept requests from almost anyone. Discuss with them as to why they should only be connected to people they know and only connected to adults who are family members. There is no good reason why adults and kids should be connected online. * Posted Photos - Take a close look at the types of photos your kids post and make sure you are comfortable with the content. Remember that the interpretation of the photo lies in the eyes of the beholder, meaning a simple photo in a bathing suit on a family vacation could mean different things to its viewers. Also, take a look at photos posted of your child by others. What may be appropriate to one may not be appropriate to all. Additionally, with geo-tagging, photos show the location of the poster. Scary? * Time spent online and where - Keep tabs on how many hours per day your child is online, what sites they are on and where they are accessing these sites from.

Parents can also help by simply monitoring their children's social media accounts using services such as TrueCare.com, an Internet-based service that may provide an early warning of potentially concerning or dangerous online behavior. Each parent knows their child best, as well as their own work schedule. If you cannot monitor your child's online posts, this type of service sends automatic email alerts concerning activity related to "friends," photos or posts within their child's social networking accounts like Facebook, Twitter, Myspace and more. The service helps parents protect their children 24/7--no matter where children access their social network accounts. Our children are growing up in a virtual world. Their ability to understand how it works is much better than their ability to understand the consequences of what they're exposing for millions to see. It is our job as their parents to secure their safety until they are mature enough to understand the permanence of their random, fleeting, and immature thoughts.

Mary Jo Rapini, MEd, LPC, is a licensed psychotherapist and co-author with Janine J. Sherman, of Start Talking: A Girl's Guide for You and Your Mom About Health, Sex or Whatever. Read more about the book at www.StartTalkingBook.com and more about Rapini at www.maryjorapini.com.

'Bullying...Is It More Than Just Sticks and Stones?' Article by Mary Jo Rapini

School gets back underway in the next month to six weeks. Start to prepare yourself by reading up on signs of bullying in your child. Mary Jo Rapini, psychotherapist and coauthor of Start Talking: A Girl's Guide for You and Your Mom about Health, Sex, or Whatever shares signs of bullying and tips on how to handle the situation with your kids, no matter on which side she falls of the bullying equation.

Bullying...Is It More Than Sticks and Stones?
by Mary Jo Rapini, MEd, LPC

Bullying is thought of as being an ordinary passage of growing up. We all remember being pelted with some sort of hurtful words. Some kids remember being beaten up on the playground. Although this wounded many children of generations past, it wasn't always taken seriously. When we hear the word "bully", we continue to think of it as not a big deal. However, bullying has changed. It is more than words or getting teased on the playground. It is inescapable harassment, physical assault, verbal abuse, and a constant barrage of cyber attacks that leave kids feeling defeated, fearful and alone.

According to Maureen Hackett, a mental health child advocate, children and teens are at fragile stages in their development of identity and self-esteem. Their relationships with peers are an integral part of how they see themselves and how they view their sense of worth. This is just one of the aspects that makes bullying so dangerous. Hackett goes on to say that the young victims look to their parents and other adults in their life for validation, appreciation and protection. When parents, teachers, or other adults in children's lives don't take bullying seriously or fail to help them, the child is hurt further. Many times this intensifies the bullying children are experiencing.

There is also no escape. While home used to be a safe haven, now there is an onslaught of cyber bullying so the terrorizing often continues at home, even in the child's own room.

What can we do to help with this situation that happens every day, everywhere, to many children? The first step may be getting involved to change the laws. Encourage the state to recognize bullying as a form of abuse. Currently the word "bullying" minimizes what our children are going through on an emotional, or even physical level. They are being terrorized.

Warning signs your children are being bullied:
* They come home with torn, damaged, or missing pieces of clothing, books, or other belongings.
* They have unexplained cuts, bruises, and scratches.
* They complain about not having friends.
* They seem afraid of going to school, walking to and from school, riding the school bus, or taking part with peers in organized activities (such as clubs).
* They have no interest in school or their grades. They begin to struggle with school.
* They are weepy, sad, moody, or depressed when they come home from school.
* They complain frequently of headaches, stomachaches or other physical ailments.
* They experience a loss of appetite or begin to gain weight.
* They appear anxious and suffer from low self-esteem.

The best advice for parents regarding helping your child is take it seriously. Do not minimize it. Write everything down (for future reference).

More tips for parents with children who are being bullied:
* You need a plan and you need to make an appointment with your child's teacher. Share your ideas with the teacher and make sure that they include the time spent at both school and at home.
* Talk to your child with a private or school counselor. This will help reinforce your child's sense of worth. Many counselors have ideas of how best to intervene using other resources. If your child has a private counselor, he should visit the school in order to help support the teacher's efforts.
* Limit your child's computer time and have her share threats she is receiving with you. If your child has a cell phone, be aware of how much texting is taking place. Make sure you have a copy of these threats in case you need legal help.
* If there is no improvement within a week, it is time to take it to either the principal (if the abuse is happening at school) or other person in charge.

 If you are the parents of a bully:

* Your child needs counseling along with a professional assessment from a psychiatrist. (Your whole family may be encouraged to attend.) Bully behavior is learned and suggests that there may be a "bully mentor" in your home.
* Make a doctor's appointment for your child. Sometimes children act out with impulsive and angry behaviors when there is something wrong with them medically (a hormone imbalance, for example).
* Set firmer limits at home. Limit your child's ability to text and use the Internet.
* Violence toward your child (spanking, etc.) will not stop the behavior and may make their bully maneuvers more intense. Overprotecting your child and telling yourself that it is normal child behavior doesn't work either. There is nothing normal about hurting another child. You need to act and you need to do it now.

Behind every bully who is terrorizing another child, there is a parent who has ignored the bully's behaviors and decided that it will go away on its own. Bullying does not go away. It usually gets worse, and intervention on both the parent's behalf (the parents of the bully and the parents of the child being bullied) works best.

Mary Jo Rapini, MEd, LPC, is a licensed psychotherapist and co-author with Janine J. Sherman, of Start Talking: A Girl's Guide for You and Your Mom About Health, Sex or Whatever. Read more about the book at www.StartTalkingBook.com and more about Rapini at www.maryjorapini.com. 

'Monitoring Your Child's Online Behavior' Article by Mary Jo Rapini, MEd, LPC

Mary Jo Rapini is the co-author of the book Start Talking: A Girl's Guide for You and Your Mom About Health, Sex or Whatever. In this article, she speaks to parents about the dangers of of cyber-bullying and how to keep kids safe online.

Monitoring Your Child's Online Behavior in 2012

by Mary Jo Rapini, MEd, LPC

"Facebooking" and "YouTubing" are no longer just a "cute" thing kids do for fun to pass the time. Not understanding the risks associated with the many social media outlets poses a huge potential problem to the safety and well-being of our children. To keep them safe, online activity is something that needs to be monitored closely. To fully understand the potential dangers, we, as parents/teachers/child advocates need to educate ourselves and then stay aware of what our children are doing online.

I read the headlines daily, and see sad story after sad story about a child who was not supervised by engaged parents or children whose parents were not aware of their child's virtual world. If you lose a child due to cyber bullying or depression due to feeling isolated and friendless, it is too late to become involved and ask the questions you need to ask now. Telling yourself that your child would never be involved in dangerous activities online is denial on a parent's part. Anyone who has parented a teen understands being proactive is wiser than trying to scramble when bad things happen.

It is time to educate or re-educate parents about the reasons they need to be engaged in their kids' Internet activity. Whether it's browsing websites like YouTube, networking on social media, playing video or other Internet-connected games, or downloading files, every activity poses potential dangers that parents should be aware of. Before the Internet was so accessible to all children, kids could come home and we, as parents, could ask them how their day was, who they hung out with or had lunch with, or how their activities went after school. Judging by the child's response, we could get a fairly good idea of the events and interactions of their day. By just looking at their face or judging their reactions to our questions, we can often understand how their day actually was. Today children have a world very different from the one we have known.  They have an online world with real people, real events and real drama--one that can easily be hidden from our view and protection.

So, let's start with a quick quiz. Do you know: If your child has a Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, or Tumblr account? How they use each social networking site they have? How many "friends" do they have? Do they personally know all of those friends? If they have more than one Facebook page? ALL of their friends and connections on each site? Do they? How much time your child spends online in general? What your child does on YouTube? If the video games they play connect to the Internet? Each of these questions represents online activity most kids use almost daily. By using these social media and search vehicles and playing video games online, they can be whoever they want, talk to anyone they want, or research anything they want. And until we communicate with them about the happenings in that digital world, we are missing out on what's going on in their entire world.

I recommend two avenues: 1.  Daily communication of what happened online. Questions might include: "Where did you spend your time online today--IM, Facebook, games, surfing, etc?" "Did you make any new friends?" "Have you noticed anyone having trouble? I read a lot about cyber bullying." "Did you play any new online games today?" "Would you mind showing that (whatever it may be) to me?" I would also suggest proper etiquette rules of Facebook and texts. I would check their phone for inappropriate photos and go over those rules and consequences prior to giving them the phone (it is a privilege after all...not a necessity).

2.  Restricting Internet use to a public space such as the kitchen or family room and allowing kids on the computer only when you are home. Managing your computer's own settings for password control. Adding software-based controls to your computer. Ensuring that privacy settings on all Internet-based accounts are set to your standards. This includes sites like Facebook, but also YouTube and online photo sites like Snapfish or Picasso. Add a service to monitor your children's activity on sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to send you alerts based around your child's activities. Checking to ensure these same settings and measures are also used on cellular phones that have Internet access. While there is no perfect solution, a combination of these measures and daily interactions will help provide your child with a safe online experience. As always, we recommend you keep the conversations around Internet safety open and positive so expectations and rules are made cut and dry.

In a place where predators are present, cyber bullying is increasing, and defaming the reputations of others happens rampantly, we need to be keeping a very close eye. As we enter 2012, I, along with my partner, TrueCare.com, will continue to help parents understand that they do need to be monitoring their kids online. There has never been a more vulnerable time in your child's life where what you don't know really can hurt you (and your child).  We want to move the needle in raising awareness and make "monitoring kids online" the next "buckle your seat belt" campaign.

Mary Jo Rapini, MEd, LPC, is a licensed psychotherapist and co-author with Janine J. Sherman, of Start Talking: A Girl's Guide for You and Your Mom About Health, Sex or Whatever. Read more about the book at www.StartTalkingBook.com and more about Rapini at www.maryjorapini.com.