Today's Parent | Parenting Resources… Articles, Advice, Help & Tips

Parents and educators are always trying to spark student participation whether it’s in the classroom, in the local community, or throughout the world.

When middle-school students at Allison Academy in North Miami Beach were asked what they could do to improve their country, they focused on what they understood – bullying, violence and racism.

Those problems are all rooted in the same issues. They stem from a lack of personal integrity and absence of social responsibility.

Children who choose to put those values into practice are actively working toward peace. But they can only put into practice what they’ve learned; instilling those values may seem simple, but many parents miss the mark and actually model the opposite.

Throwing money at social problems like racism or violence doesn’t resolve them. But children can.

The energy from kids’ excitement can make a real difference and we need their energy focused right here at home. They see problems; it’s up to us to give them the tools to address them.

The following tips can help parents teach their children personal integrity and social responsibility, giving them the keys to world peace.

• Never lie in front of your kids. It may seem obvious, but many parents lie in front of their children or encourage them to lie; misstating a child’s age to save money on movie tickets or allowing them to take credit for school projects completed by the parent.  These seemingly inconsequential lies suggest it’s OK, even good, to distort the truth. This causes long-term damage a million times more costly than whatever was gained in the short term.

• Give your kids a reason why. Author Mark Twain once said that the two most important days of your life are the day you are born and the day you figure out why. If you fail to tell your kids why we are here, you have missed the opportunity to figure out what motivates them and gets them excited. This is the most important key to getting kids’ cooperation and empowering them to help the world.

• Don’t criticize your children. Criticism is toxic, so why do almost all parents criticize their kids?  When we focus on what they aren’t, they believe they can’t. This creates angry children who express their pain by bullying others.  It’s better to tell them how you feel rather than what you think of them, e.g., “I feel frustrated that you didn’t listen to me,” or “Can you say that in a more loving way?”

• Don’t speak badly about other people. This is probably one of the hardest things to do, considering we’re a generation that pays for gossip.  Speaking badly about others teaches kids to look for what they view as the negative in others and take joy in sharing it.

• Model charity. Actions speak louder than any words. When you teach kindness to children, they tend to feel empathy and have more successful lives, a crucial step toward achieving world peace.

Once we tackle the issues plaguing America, then as a model nation, we will be ready to tackle world peace. Kids are hungry to form an identity and make their mark on the world. It’s easier to try to bring peace to another country, but that never works. We need to start at home.

Rachel Albert is a certified court reporter and business owner. “Quest to Telos” is her debut novel; it’s being used by a private school to develop an inspirational, critical-thinking curriculum for middle-school students ready by the summer. Albert is currently working on a sequel. She is a staunch advocate of boosting teen literacy while inspiring kids to make a difference starting with their own hearts.

It can happen without you even realizing what’s going on. You’re driving home from work and see a shiny new SUV in your neighbor’s driveway. Gee, you think, I’d really like to upgrade our vehicle too. I wish we had enough money on hand for a down payment. Or maybe you’re scrolling through your Facebook newsfeed and see a newly posted album of your friend’s kids. It seems like they’re always so well behaved, you sigh. I’m lucky if my boys will stay still long enough to take a picture—forget having clean faces and combed hair!

It’s true: Most of us compare ourselves to—and try to keep up with—the proverbial “Joneses” on a near-constant basis. And that’s definitely not a good thing.

Being in the clutches of the green-eyed monster can really sabotage your overall happiness. That’s because envy makes you focus on what you don’t have instead of all of the great things you do have.

Social media has really exacerbated the extent to which envy affects our lives. Think about it: Sites like Twitter and Facebook allow people to live their lives in full view of others…and sugarcoat every aspect of them. When you log on, you’re bound to see pictures and posts that read, “Most beautiful wedding ever!” “This was a dream vacation in paradise!” or “Drinks on me—I just got a promotion!”

As you’re scrolling through this never-ending list of good news, it’s all too easy to feel like you’ve gotten the short end of the stick and say, “Woe is me!” And, of course, it doesn’t help that your Facebook newsfeed doesn’t ever go away. You can always torture yourself by taking a look at how much “better” everybody else has it.

But here’s the thing: While you’re living your life in a constant haze of jealousy, you don’t see the other side of the coin. What social media might not tell you is that the friend who got a promotion might also have just had a huge fight with her spouse. But unless she is one of those people who thrive on drama, she isn’t going to post those details of her personal life…and you won’t know that things aren’t as perfect as they seem.

The bottom line is, jealousy doesn’t do anybody any good. It makes you feel needlessly unhappy, and it can negatively affect your relationship with others. Here are six tips to help you banish envy the next time it starts to rear its ugly head:

Admit that envy is a problem. To some extent, envy is natural. You can’t go through your life without feeling jealous from time to time. So first, simply take note of when and why the green-eyed monster makes an appearance. (You may not even have consciously realized what you’re feeling!) Specifically, be aware of how strong your emotions are and what effect they have on your attitude and behavior.

You don’t have to take your emotional temperature every five minutes, but being generally aware of the role envy plays in your life can really make a difference in your behavior. For instance, if you’re carrying around a lot of anger toward a coworker because the boss liked his project proposal instead of yours, it could be making you unnecessarily snarky, critical, and negative. That means that you’re ruining your own day and hurting your performance…and you might also be burning some office bridges you’ll regret later!

Remember that “happiness” looks different for everyone. When you’re constantly comparing yourself to the Joneses, you’ll suffer several unintended consequences. First, worrying about how you don’t measure up robs you of your present happiness. Plus, it leaves you unable to think about how you really want your own life to look.

We talk about the American dream of a house, a pool, two cars in the garage, and the proverbial white picket fence. But the truth is, the same cookie-cutter mold doesn’t work for everybody! The lifestyle that makes your neighbor or your cousin or your dentist happy might not work for you. And if that’s the case, who cares if it’s flashier, more glamorous, or ‘cooler’? Trust me, when you give yourself permission to live your life on your terms instead of letting others set the bar (and feeling jealous as a result), you might be surprised by how good you already have it.

Cultivate an attitude of gratitude. Yes, living with an “attitude of gratitude” is a clichéd concept. But infusing it into your life will also totally change your viewpoint…especially if you have a chronic case of “the envies.” The fact is, it’s very easy to take things for granted: the information your coworker emailed you, the fact that your car is running, and even the food you’re eating for dinner. Most of us have gotten into the habit of ignoring all of the good things in our lives, and instead, we focus our mental energy on being upset about what’s wrong. But it can be a true game changer when you reverse the time you spend thinking about each.

Over the course of my life, I have learned that it’s smarter to thank others because of how they make your life better instead of secretly resenting them because they have something you don’t. And yes, it does take a while to make this change in how you habitually think. To start tapping into the power of gratitude, just say ‘thanks’ to the people who help you out during your day. (You might even work up to writing thank-you notes, as I do.) And beyond that, try to notice all of the blessings in your life. For me, my wonderful wife and extraordinary son top the list, as well as the fact that I finally get to do what I love—help others live happier lives. In time, you’ll start to notice that most of your envy has miraculously left the building. Read More

Small talk is an important skill for any connector, regardless of age, to master. From the check-out line at the grocery store to the person sitting next to you on a flight, you just never know which connection can result in something big or wonderful. When you look at it that way, every connection you don’t make is a potential opportunity missed, so engaging meaningfully is a skill that’s best learned early. Here are five strategies your kids can use to connect with people in any scenario.

• Share something extra about themselves. When adults meet a new child, they’ll often ask easy-to-answer stock questions like, “What’s your name? How old are you?” In addition to providing the “bare bones” answer, help your children think of something extra they can offer. For instance, your son might say, “Hi, I’m Billy. I’m five years old and I love to play baseball!” Voilà! What might have been a standard teeth-pulling session has just been transformed into a bona fide conversation.

• Be complimentary. Whether you’re seven or seventy-seven, a compliment is always a great way to break the conversational ice. To get started, teach your kids to comment on something interesting the other person is wearing. For example, “I love that necklace you’re wearing. It’s so pretty!” Or, “Wow, your shirt is my very favorite color.”

• Talk about the weather. Sure, commenting on the weather has a rather “blah” reputation, but the fact is, it works, and it’s a great way to ease into a conversation with someone you don’t know very well. Teach kids to pay attention to their surroundings so they can comment on them during small talk. For example, “Have you been enjoying the nice weather?” Or, “I hope it doesn’t rain next week, because my Girl Scout troop is supposed to march in the parade.”

• Find things in common. If you can find a common interest with the person to whom you’re speaking, small talk can turn from mediocre to meaningful in an instant. Teach your kids to be aware of conversational and external cues. If your daughter notices that someone is wearing a Braves jersey and she’s also a fan, she can strike up a conversation about the latest game. Or if your son hears someone say that she’s from Columbus, Ohio, he might say, “My grandparents live near Columbus. Don’t you love the zoo there?” (Hint: If you are going into a situation and think of some common interests ahead of time, go ahead and arm your kids with them!)

• Wrap it up well. One of the trickiest parts of small talk is the conclusion. Give kids a few lines they can use to wrap up a conversation before it veers into awkward silence. “It was great to meet you. I hope to see you again soon! Have a nice vacation!”

Maribeth Kuzmeski, MBA, CSP, is the author of six books including “…And the Clients Went Wild!” and “The Connectors” (Wiley), and is a frequent national media contributor and international speaker. Maribeth and her firm, Red Zone Marketing, Inc., consult and train businesses from financial services firms to Fortune 500 corporations on strategic marketing planning and business growth. She has personally consulted with some of the world’s most successful CEOs, entrepreneurs, and professionals. Maribeth lives in the Chicago, IL, area with her husband and two teenagers.

Lizzie Kuzmeski is a teenager and a natural connector. She enjoys theatre, horseback riding, and, yes, Facebook. ?

“The Engaging Child: Raising Children to Speak, Write, and Have Relationship Skills Beyond Technology” (Red Zone Publishing, 2012, ISBN: 978-0-9717780-3-0, $18.95) is available at bookstores nationwide and from major online booksellers.

For more information, please visit www.theengagingchild.com.

Working parents are already lining up childcare plans for the summer. While they’re at it, educators say all parents of school-age children should also plan for preventing the dreaded summer slide.

The ‘summer slide’ is the information and skills children forget during summer break from the end of one school year to the beginning of the next school year.

The education slide is well documented by numerous studies, which were synthesized in the 1990s by Harris Cooper, then a professor at the University of Missouri-Columbia. He found that children could forget one to three months of learning over the summer.

While some people are aware of the learning loss, many aren’t aware that children tend to gain weight more rapidly when they’re out of school. In 2007 a study by Paul Von Hippel of Ohio State University revealed that kids, especially those at risk for obesity, gain as much weight during the summer as they do all school year.

What can parents do to keep young brains and bodies engaged in healthy ways over the summer? Follow these tips:

• Journal current achievement levels. How do you know if your child is affected by summer slide if you don’t remember where they ended the year? Create a summer journal and, in the first few pages, document what they most recently learned in their major subjects. Were they adding and subtracting double-digit numbers? Doing long division? What were some of their vocabulary or spelling words?  Throughout the summer you can track their progress and, at the least, maintain those levels – or maybe even move on to more challenging material.

• Try a weeklong educational day camp. We all want our kids to have fun during the summer, and they can. Enroll in the fun, active day camps that focus on art, music or swimming. But toward the end of the summer, have your children attend one week of math camp and one week of reading camp as a refresher.

• Feed the brain during free time. Kids have a lot more free time in the summer. With fewer scheduled activities, even kids who attend a camp may have more time to hang out in the evening. How can you feed their brain during this extra time? Visit the library and check out print books, audio books, educational DVDs, and even educational computer games.  Many websites offer activity ideas that you and the kids can enjoy together. For instance, a free e-book, “10 Top Fun Wise Games: Making Learning Math Fun” is available at www.exploracise.com.

• ACTIVE-ate the brain. Getting active exercises both the body and the brain. Just like our body needs exercise to stay healthy, so does the brain to keep those neurons firing. Encourage kids to stay active and play outside during the summer and allow only limited, scheduled times for sedentary activities like video games or TV.

Carrie Scheiner was inspired by her own children to develop the first Exploracise® program that creatively teaches math facts during a complete workout.  Ms. Carrie created the award winning Exploracise® products and programs by bringing her math education background, passion for helping children and corporate expertise together to develop solutions for quality screen time, increased physical activity and kids education. Carrie Scheiner earned a bachelor’s degree in math with a minor in secondary education, and a master’s in statistics from Rutgers University.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the summer camp experience “has proven to have a lasting effect on psychological development, including significant effects on self esteem, peer relationships, independence, leadership, values and willingness to try new things.”

With that, children generally like to participate in group activities and share among themselves while at summer camp; therefore, it is not uncommon for ‘little’ epidemics of minor illness to sweep through camps.  These may include conjunctivitis (pink eye), strep throat, stomach viruses, etc.  While some of this is inevitable, the occurrences can be lessened in two ways.  The first is if your child is obviously ill, do not send him to camp.  You will only help spread his illness to the other campers.  The second; it is the camp’s responsibility to send home any child that is sick in order to limit the spread of the illness.

What other health issues should you prepare for when sending your child to summer camp? Camps offer a wide range of activities and almost all programs have some level of physical exercise.  Combine this with the general enthusiasm of children and there are bound to be bruises, minor cuts, falls, and occasionally more serious injuries such as broken bones.  The best medicine here is prevention: camps that stress proper supervision of play time and physical activities have lower rates of injury.

If you are considering what camp may be best for your child, here are a few items to think about.  Ensure the camp activities are appropriately matched to your child’s medical needs.  For many children, this may be as simple as having a camp physical performed with your primary care provider to validate their good health.  For those children with ongoing medical concerns such as asthma, anaphylactic allergies, seizures or diabetes, for example, the routine activities of the camp should not place the child as risk for exacerbating any of these conditions.

Next, if the camp is a sleep-away camp, it should be able to provide basic medical care for a child with ongoing medical needs.  Staff should be trained in basic medical first aid and CPR, and should be qualified to store and administer any medications that your child will need away from home.  If your child attends a day camp, staff should have basic first aid training, CPR and, depending on your child’s needs, be able to administer necessary medications.  Whatever the type of camp, it is very important that the camp staff is aware of your child’s medical needs so they can be proactive in anticipating those needs.

Finally, parents must ensure the camp meets the needs of their child’s interest and skills, so it is important to match the interests of the child to the camp offerings.  Look at the mission and goals of the camp, speak with the camp directors, and discuss the possibilities with your child in order to find the best placement.

Charles A. Welborn, MD, MPH, FAAP, FACEP, Medical Director, After Hours Pediatrics Urgent Care

In the 1960’s, cross-country road trips looked different than they do today. Kids bounced unrestrained in the backseat; Coca-Cola and fries were consumed without fear of caffeine and cholesterol. With no air-conditioning, a strong wind relentlessly blasted through the car, bringing with it the smell of backyard barbecues and pig farms. Compare that with today’s sanitary road trip. It’s the difference between the Flintstones and Jetsons.

At least on the surface. In the drama of long family car trips, the scenery changes generation to generation but the characters are the same. Here’s what I mean:

I was the little kid back then, not old enough to care about the geography or geology lessons my parents tried to push on my two older sisters and me. The lessons went right over my head, or so it seemed at the time. Relentlessly clever, Dad subtly engaged me in learning.

For example, as we drove through a cut in the road, I’d hear him say, “Look at how there are lines in the rocks. It’s called strata and that was layers of sand or mud millions of years ago.” It didn’t mean a thing to me. But when we stopped for a picnic lunch at a State Park, there was (miraculously) a wall of strata. I remember digging at the layers of rock and discovering a fossil. Whether it really was one or not, it didn’t matter. Back at school, I told the class about the strata and how fossils are formed.

Even tourist traps became learning opportunities. Out west, we stopped in some tacky shops. I loved the one at Pikes Peak: it had jewelry made of copper nuggets, coon skin hats with the tail hanging down the back and the first kaleidoscope that I’d ever seen. Each item became a lesson, a subtle education in geology, history or physics.

Years later, I was the parent trying to instill knowledge in my children during endless road trips. The constant barrage of “Are we there yet?” and “Can we watch another video?” convinced me that I didn’t have that same magic possessed by my Dad. I just didn’t know how to engage my kids in the finer points of rock formation. Or the Civil War. Or museums about anything. The usual response to my words of wisdom was a blank stare from the back seat.

Every trip was the same and I’d try to make it fun: “Hey, did you know that Stonewall Jackson is buried over there but his arm is buried miles away? And it has its own headstone!” Ever hopeful that a fact this weird would elicit some dialogue, it rarely did. All I got was that stare.

I felt that I never could break through. Then my kids grew up. As adults, they finally gave me the reward that I’d always sought. “Remember when we were on that trip to Disney and you told us about the salt marshes in Georgia? You told us that slaves worked in the rice fields there. We could see it from the interstate. After that, I was really interested in learning more about the Civil War.” Or “I loved going to Mount Vernon and seeing where George Washington lived. In fact, I always loved going to all those historical places.” I never knew. They never let on.

So I’m the one who learned a lesson: kids are good at hiding enthusiasm about learning. At least my kids were, and apparently, so was I as a child. But even as they rolled their eyes and objected to spending an hour in a museum, something was sinking in. You never know what will set off a spark. As a parent, it is our duty to keep trying.

Another important message – and this one I picked up from Dad during our cross-country vacations – is the difference between the words “to” and “through.” We were driving “to” California from Pittsburgh but we were driving “through” Illinois where Abraham Lincoln started his political career. We drove “through” Iowa, a state that supplied much of our corn (and the Karo syrup I loved on pancakes). In 8th grade, I knew Pierre was the capital of South Dakota, not because I memorized it in school but because I was there. And I ate a buffalo burger in a local diner. Read More

According to the latest America’s Health Rankings® released this month, almost 4 million adults in Florida are obese – 1.7 million more adults than 10 years ago.

Studies have shown that a child who is obese between the ages of 10 and 13 has an 80 percent chance of becoming an obese adult. Many behaviors that are key to healthy weight begin in childhood.

The conversation between pediatricians and parents on the topic of weight is an understandably challenging one. When you talk with parents of kids who are overweight, they often do not see their kids as having a weight problem. Parents love their children and tend not to see the negative, even when it’s right in front of them.

How to partner with your pediatrician your child’s pediatrician*

• Your pediatrician should work with you to identify risk and assess current weight status.

• During regular well-child check-ups, expect your doctor to ask you about your child’s eating and exercise habits as well as your family history related to diseases associated with obesity.

• Answer these questions as truthfully as possible to help your doctor accurately assess your child’s risk.

• Your pediatrician will evaluate your child’s physical stature by obtaining weight and height. At age two, they will begin calculating your child’s BMI.

• Children and adolescents with a BMI over the 85% but less than 95th percentile are considered overweight and those with a BMI greater than the 95th percentile are considered obese.

*Source: American Academy of Pediatrics

How to tell if your child is at a healthy weight

The CDC offers a BMI Percentile Calculator for children and teens that provides the corresponding BMI-for-age percentile on a BMI-for-age growth chart.

http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/dnpabmi/

There are special considerations for working with children who need to lower their BMI. Because kids are growing, they may be able to “grow into their weight” through proper nutrition and exercise.

Strategies for families who want to tackle weight and nutrition together

• Breast feed you baby for as long as possible

• Make sure your portion sizes are realistic for your child.  A proper portion of most foods is roughly the size of your child’s hand

• Offer at least 5 fruits and vegetables per day, Fruits are always preferable to juices, which tend to have a lot of added sugar.

• Get 1 hour of physical activity a day (does not need to be consecutive)

• Limit TV time to less than 2 hours a day

• Limit consumption of sugar sweetened beverages; water should be the preferred beverage when a child is thirsty.

• Eat breakfast daily

• Switch to low-fat dairy products

• Regularly eat family meals together

• Limit fast food, take out, and eating out.

• Prepare foods at home as a family

• Eat a diet rich in calcium

• Eat a high fiber diet

Dr. Catherine Palmier, Pediatrician and Chief Medical Officer, Southeast Region for UnitedHealthcare

Parenting a child with autism can be both rewarding and stressful. While parents know their child best, they may not be aware of easy-to-use interventions that can help make a meaningful difference in their child’s behavior. Parents who educate themselves about tools for teaching children with autism also help alleviate many of the stressors that are common in a family with a child with autism.  Below are some simple interventions that parents can use throughout the day.

1: Support Pivotal Response Treatment. One of today’s most popular and effective treatments for children with autism, Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT), uses natural learning opportunities to target and modify key behaviors, leading to rapid and sweeping behavior changes.  Now parents can learn all the basics of PRT and support this treatment for their children with “The PRT Pocket Guide: Pivotal Response Treatment for Autism Spectrum Disorders,” a quick and practical guidebook by PRT developers Robert and Lynn Koegel. Packed with helpful tips and vivid examples based on actual children, this concise how-to guide reveals the secrets to motivating children with natural reinforcers, reducing disruptive behavior,  encouraging communication and social initiations, helping families weave interventions into daily routines, and more.

2: Increase attention. The ability to focus on a specific task to completion is a foundational skill for life. Whether it is cleaning up their room or calling a friend for a play date, children rely on direction from others and the ability to execute those directions within themselves. Parents can help increase their child’s attention span and ability to follow directions with the software program, HearBuilder Following Directions Home Edition. Created by Super Duper Publications (www.superduperinc.com,) it covers 40 basic concepts that help children ages 4-9 (grades PreK-3) improve their ability to listen to and follow directions while they play fun interactive games.  This research-based program automatically adjusts the difficulty level based on the child’s performance in the program.

3: Sustain engagement. As many children on the spectrum tend to focus on their own individual interests before those of others around them, it is imperative that parents and family members create positive memories and engage in activities that will cause their child to develop a vested interest in the world around them. Games can be a great way to engage a child, but oftentimes can be confusing and overwhelming for children with autism. With MagneTalk Turns and Topics, a magnetic board game for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs), children are able to have fun, increase concentration and communication skills, and learn basic game playing. The game offers four magnetic boards that increase in difficulty.

4: Use interests as a learning tool. Many children with autism develop an acute curiosity in a specific topic, interest or subject area. Engage your child in meaningful play by using her natural fascinations and interests as an opportunity to learn. One common fascination in children with autism is trains. Author and inclusion expert Paula Kluth has created a book that teaches vocabulary by using a child’s fascination with trains in “A is for ‘All Aboard!’” Published by Brookes Publishing Co., the book includes steps for using the book as a teaching tool as the child’s skills progress.

5: Foster social skills. Developing key social skills and the ability to relate to others requires age appropriate and contextual dialogue. Often children with ASDs have a difficult time developing these skills, and lacking these skills prevents them from interacting with peers and the world around them. With the Practicing Pragmatics App, children learn age-appropriate behaviors and responses through social skills questions about politeness, solving problems, feelings, giving information, requesting information, telephone skills and staying on topic.

By learning how to support the treatments your child receives and how to best expand their learning throughout the day, you are ensuring that you will have happy and stress-free days with your child.

Source: KidsEducationNews.com

If you check throughout your home, you will be shocked to find an array of potentially poisonous products, such as medicines, household chemicals, and plants. And in the hands of a small child or pet, these products can be deadly.  Fortunately, accidental poisoning is a preventable injury. But it’s up to parents, grandparents and caregivers to be educated about what types of substances can be harmful to children and pets.

Here are some potentially poisonous products in the home, which some people may overlook:

1. Button Batteries. When swallowed, these small batteries get stuck in the esophagus (throat). The saliva triggers an electric current which causes a chemical reaction that can severely burn the esophagus in as little as two hours. Lithium batteries can be found in everything in your home. They are used to power remote controls, toys, musical greeting cards, flameless candles, calculators, watches and other electronics.

2. Alcohol: It can lead to seizures, coma and even death in a young child. (Examples of household products that can contain alcohol: mouthwash, perfumes, colognes, and aftershave, vanilla extract, cough and cold medications and hand sanitizers.)

3. Baby oil: When you swallow baby oil and other hydrocarbons, they can easily go down the wrong way and get into your lungs. Only a small amount can cause pneumonia within a few hours.

4. Antifreeze: Children or pets could drink large amounts of this sweet-tasting liquid if it is left out in an open container or if spilled on your driveway. The main ingredient in many major antifreeze brands is ethylene glycol, which is extremely toxic.  Consider using antifreeze with propylene glycol, which is considerably less toxic, or use antifreeze that has a bittering agent (denatonium benzoate) added to make it taste unpleasant.

5. Windshield washer fluid is extremely toxic. It can cause blindness soon after ingestion.

6.  Dieffenbachia and Philodendron: These common houseplants contain oxalates, microscopic crystals that get released into the mouth when the plant is chewed, causing extreme pain and inflammation.

A popular Flower Garden plant is the beautiful oleander. Everything about this plant is toxic, including the water in which cut flowers are placed and any smoke that results from burning the plant. In fact, a single leaf or berry can kill

(Important Note to cat owners: All parts of the Easter lily plant are considered toxic to cats and consuming even small amounts can cause severe poisoning.)

It’s important to identify all the different plants both in and around your home. Obtain a list of the common poisonous plants that grow in your area from the poison center or your local cooperative extension agent. You can also take the plant or a cutting to a reputable and experienced nursery, florist, or plant store for identification. Parents should only purchase nontoxic plants when they have children under the age of six and pets. Read More

At age eleven, Willie was headed for disaster. His home life was full of violence and abuse, and he was full of self-hatred and anger.

“I felt no one loved me,” he says. “So at twelve, I started digging my own grave in the canyon behind my house.”

But then something happened. Some caring mentors came alongside Willie and changed his life. As he puts it, “They kept pursuing me because they saw what I could not – my true potential.”

Boys at Risk

Willie was considered an at-risk youth. Kids like Willie have problems that put their health, development and overall success in life in jeopardy.

The National At-Risk Education Network defines at-risk in two ways:

-At-risk of dropping out of school

-At-risk of not succeeding in life due to being raised in unfavorable circumstances

How do young people end up at-risk? To look at the dropout issue, there is no single risk factor to predict who is likely to drop out of school – it’s actually a combination of circumstances.

The National Dropout Prevention Center/Network at Clemson University reviewed 25 years of research and found that dropping out of school is related to individual, family, school and community factors. It’s described as a long process of disengagement that adds up over time.

Being raised “in unfavorable circumstances” includes factors such as poverty, limited access to opportunities, and the lack of positive adult influences in their lives.

“Boys naturally look toward men for guidance, but too many young men don’t have solid male role models to look up to,” said Craig McClain, cofounder of Boys to Men Mentoring Network, a nonprofit organization dedicated to guiding boys through their passage to manhood. “Growing up without fathers, male mentors or positive role models has a devastating effect on young men, and ultimately our society.”

Mentoring Tomorrow’s Men

Mentoring is the development of a caring, supportive relationship that helps someone reach their fullest potential. The National Mentoring Partnership (www.mentoring.org) says that formal mentoring relationships help reduce delinquency, substance abuse and academic failure. They also promote “positive outcomes, such as self-esteem, social skills and knowledge of career opportunities.”

“A lot of boys today don’t have anyone showing them or telling them how to be a good man,” says Joe Sigurdson, cofounder of Boys to Men. “We help boys become better men. We bring good men into boys’ lives to be mentors and role models. We teach and model integrity, accountability, character, compassion and respect. And it works.”

How It Works

The Boys to Men mentoring program has three components: an experiential mentor training for carefully screened mentors, a Rites of Passage weekend and ongoing group mentoring. The group mentoring allows the boys and their mentors to meet in a group setting to strengthen relationships, share the challenges in their lives, and get positive support.

“We’ve seen some major changes in these boys’ lives,” said McClain. “Over 5,300 men and boys have been through the program over the years, and we’ve seen boys overcome incredible odds to become loving fathers, husbands and good men.”

Started in San Diego in 1996, Boys to Men has expanded to communities in 27 cities and 4 countries. Their newest strategy for reaching young men is a site-based mentoring program that focuses on middle and high school boys who have been identified by schools as at-risk.

At the Gateway Community Day High School, participants have improved their GPAs by an average of 57 percent, reduced discipline referrals by 216 percent, and defied the school’s historic dropout rate of nearly 36 percent with a 0 percent dropout rate. Read More