Susan Carney's Blog
Posted by Susan Carney
I received an email from the Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood earlier this month that made me extremely happy. As a result of a relentless letter-writing campaign directed at Scholastic booksellers (yes, THAT Scholastic), the company finally agreed to stop selling Bratz items at their book fairs. You may wonder what a book titled "L'il Bratz Catwalk Cuties" would be doing at an elementary school book fair....as were the over 5,000 CFCC members who took the time to contact Scholastic to express their disappointment. Sadly, most parents were probably unaware that this type of product was being sold at their kids' schools. Which just goes to show that you can't be too careful, and that parents really need to go in and check things out whenever products are being sold to their kids. Even when the product is something so (seemingly!) wholesome and good-for-you as books.....you just never know.
Another recent plus for kids...Kelly Curtis' new book "Empowering Youth: How to Encourage Young Leaders to o Great Things" came out this month. Kelly is a school counselor, like me, and believes wholeheartedly in the Developmental Assets approach, on which the book is based. If you've ever wanted to help kids use their strengths to achieve great things, but weren't quite sure how to do so, you should check out this book. Read my review for more info about "Empowering Youth!"
Safe Schools Week is coming up next month, October 19-25. Stay tuned!
Posted by Susan Carney
The next week or two marks the return to school for kids, but its also a significant transition for parents and teachers, too. Watching kids grow up is one of the most rewarding aspects of working in education. I always enjoy seeing the kids come back on the first day of school, and always marvel at how different they seem after only a few short months. My sixth graders, who seemed like nervous babies only a short time ago, are now big, bad seventh graders; my seventh graders are now eighth graders, with one foot out the door to the high school. It all happens so quickly. It’s my new sixth graders that I usually worry the most about. Used to being big fishes in their small pond, they are often anxious and overwhelmed. They have their own particular stresses, and, without fail, they are the same ones each year. Check out Top Stresses for Middle Schoolers for more info. You might also want to see Surviving Middle School or Supporting Your Middle Schooler for ideas on how you can help with this tough transition. Teachers may also want to get some ideas for helping new students transition comfortably into their school. Tips for Welcoming New Students will guide you in the right direction. If you are looking for some simple, fun activities to help students get to know one another, check out Group and Classroom Icebreakers or Group and Classroom Games. Good luck!
Posted by Susan Carney
This week my family participated in “National Night Out,” an evening dedicated to crime prevention which is held annually on the first Tuesday in August.
The event we attended was sponsored by a local church with the assistance of a variety of other community groups. My kids were initially upset because it started to pour rain about ten minutes before we got there, and we feared the event would be rained out. Undeterred, the organizers moved everything to the church basement. We weren’t technically “out” anymore, and we were a little wet, but my kids didn’t care. Anyplace they can get a hotdog and have their face painted is a great place, wet or not.
A variety of community agencies and groups that serve kids and families had set up displays or otherwise contributed to the event. In attendance were the Civil Air Patrol, the YWCA, various scouting groups, a local literacy program, and others. It struck me how it really does take a village to raise kids. Even with strong family support, we rely on our community, our churches and our social agencies, to assist with the sometimes difficult task of raising healthy kids.
It also struck me that we often don’t even realize what services are available to us, right where we live. It might not occur to us to seek help until we need it. Yet even without a defined “need”, there are always opportunities available that can enhance our kids’ lives. Most communities are rich with such opportunities: we just have to know where to find them.
Posted by Susan Carney
As the time to our national election grows shorter, the issues we are concerned about are being talked about more and more. The Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood is working hard to bring the issue of marketing to children to the forefront of these discussions.
Why? Childhood obesity, poor body image, the sexualization of children, the glorification of violence, materialism and selfishness, underage drinking, tobacco use among kids… these are only a few of the issues effecting kids’ health and well-being today that are directly linked to marketing unhealthy products and attitudes directly at kids and teens.
Those who are equally concerned about these issues and their impact on kids and families can take action. You can add your name to CCFC petitions to either the Democratic or Republican parties, and ask your friends and families to do the same. The petition urges the party to “adopt a platform plank that commits the party to protecting children from the excesses of the marketing-driven media industry.”
This is a great opportunity to pull kids into the political process, as well. Talk to them about these issues and get their opinions about how marketing impacts them and how they think about themselves. Give them the change to sign the petition, have their voice heard, and spread the word. They’ll be getting great practice at learning how to understand issues, and getting involved in solutions, as well.
Posted by Susan Carney
Researchers from the Yale University School of Medicine recently reviewed research on bullying behavior from 13 countries, and found not only a link between suicidal thoughts and bullying victims, as would be expected. They also found a link between suicidal thoughts and bulliers, as well. (Tara Parker-Pope, "With Bullying, Suicide Risk for Victims and Tormentors", NY Times, July 18, 2008).
These findings appear to me to be evidence of what I have always believed: that most kids who bully other have significant problems of their own, of which bullying is just one component. Its tempting to just say, “oh, he’s just a rotten kid.” But it may be more important to ask, “What’s going on with him that’s making him behave that way?
Bullies may be the victims of bullying themselves. They may have significant home issues which impact their ability to develop satisfying social relationships with other kids. They may have poor role models for how to handle conflicts. They may have problems with depression or anxiety, or suffer from undiagnosed learning problems. Whatever.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that when kids have unaddressed issues, it often impacts their self-esteem and sense of power. And for many kids, feeling powerless and bad about yourself are the two main ingredients that make a bully. I don’t believe that it is the bullying per se that may be causing kids to be suicidal. Rather, bullying and suicidal ideation are probably side effects of other, deeper problems that need to be addressed. In any case, it certainly means that we need to do a better job of helping our kids, before they feel the need to resort to either.
For more on bullying prevention, please see Bullying in Schools or Strategies to Prevent Bullying, or Bullying and Teens.
