Tag Archives: bully

If I Write It, I Will Do It…

If I write it, I will do it… the beginning…

The first, of the next chapter of my life… November 11, 2011

“To move ahead you need to believe in yourself… have conviction in your beliefs and the confidence to execute those beliefs”
– Adlin Sinclair

Early in my life, I knew I was meant to do something big. It wasn’t about notoriety. Nor was it about being famous. It was simply knowing that I had to do something big. I was sent here for a purpose and innately, I knew it.

Since I can remember, I searched for something greater. Some sort of purpose awaited me but I wasn’t sure what it was. What I was sure of, was that I was strong. I grew stronger with every obstacle I endured. From being bullied severely during my youth to ill wishes from those who barely knew me. My biggest hurdle was learning how to fight back and stick up for myself. Words always came to my mind. Words that would win (if that is what you want to call it). The problem was that I could not spit them out. I didn’t have the heart to hurt someone else regardless of how badly they hurt me. I never realized how much this would negatively impact me throughout my life. Still, I cannot change who I was and who I am. Recently, my just “6-year-old” daughter said something to me that resonated immediately. “Mom, I know that you told me to stick up for myself when people are being mean to me but, I am a good girl. I don’t want to be mean back because I want to be a good kid. I hope you understand?” Her words hit home. She might get hurt like I did, and still do at times. She may miss out on some things in life because other people could put her down. People may believe what others say about her if they are cold and mean. What I do know, is that’s ok. She is staying true to herself and I, as a mother, would not change that for the world!

As she continued to talk about other kids her age and how some are mean to one another and some are really nice, my little one, with all her spunk, chimed into the conversation. “Talia,” she said, “don’t worry about it! If anyone is mean to you, I will just scream at them and say, DON’T BE MEAN TO MY SISTER OR YOU WILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH ME!” With that, Talia replied, “I know Julia, you are the best sister in the world! I know you always want to take care of me, but you don’t have to change who you are either.” Julia simply nodded and replied, “I know Talia, but you are my sister and I always want to protect you!” Imagine that, a 4-year-old and 6-year-old having more compassion and empathy than those that have lived longer lives?

Yet another reason I feel blessed to have these two little beings in my life. I am also blessed to have them embark in my new ventures… They are humanists and philanthropists by birth… They are my incredible daughters. November 11, 2011… the day I started my website – The day I decided it was time to live the voice inside myself… That is, without sacrificing who I was and still am.

11-11-11, and so it began… Many great things have happened – many great things happening – and many great things to come! Regardless of how much you have to give, what are you doing to help others NOW? It takes so little to make a BIG difference… Do something. Maybe if you write it, you will do it. My daughter’s epitomize the term “Be The Change.” Will you?

“You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience by which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.”

- Eleanor Roosevelt

Posted in Blogology 101, Children, Family, Funnies, Humanity, Kids, Mom, Motherhood, Parenting, Women | Tagged bond, bully, charity, help, human, living, love, philanthropist, philanthropy, sisters | Leave a comment

Facebook, Kids Under 13 And Parental Intelligence Software

I previously wrote in an article about Keeping your kids safe from cyber bullies and other problematic situations regarding social media and other new technology. Technology has changed the way our children socialize today. It is only logical to change the way we parent as well. Facebook’s latest idea, targeting children under the age of 13, is exactly why parents need to take matters into there own hands, and protect their children.

Uknowkids.com is helping parents do just that. The Uknowkids team developed the first parental intelligence software. The system allows parents to connect with their child’s digital world without being invasive. With cyberbullying being more prevalent than ever, and child predators using the internet while targeting children, this is a must have for all parents.

Fortunately, I have been able to connect with Uknowkids and see first hand what their software is capable of. Besides the software though, their website offers useful tools and information that are a “must see” for all parents. During recent visit to their website, I found a moving snippet I had to share with my readers. Here are some statistics regarding Facebook and the social sites newest potential venture

Posted in Apps, Children, Education, Family, Girls, Kids, Mom, Motherhood, Parenting, Tech, Women | Tagged bully, Children, cyber, dad, facebook, i-stuff, iPad, iPhone, iPod, marketing, Mom, Parenting, parents, safety, social media, social networking, software, tech | Leave a comment

Facebook Allowing Children 12 And Under?

Reading recent headlines regarding Facebook just about made me regurgitate twice in my own mouth. As sick as that may sound, I don’t believe it is as sick as the headlines were. As I skimmed through a few articles about Facebook and their wild and crazy idea allowing children 12 and under to use their site, I wanted to do nothing more than scream. As if our children have nothing better to do than spend their youth on social networking sites like Facebook.

Between child predators, cyber-bullies, social pressures and more, why would Facebook even think this is a good idea for our youth? This past May, Consumer Reports published the below in an article regarding a study they did:

“Children under 13 aren’t supposed to use Facebook. We project from our survey that the company closed about 800,000 such accounts in the last year.

But some 5.6 million underage kids still have accounts, our survey suggests. And 800,000 minors were harassed or subjected to other forms of cyberbullying on Facebook.

Our survey also shows that most parents who knew their preteen used Facebook had not discussed online threats with them or “friended” them, while up to a third did nothing to keep up with their children’s Facebook activities”

Targets: 11- to 13-year-olds. The least vigilant parents in our survey were those with children under 13 on Facebook. “The kids most often targeted are 11- to 13-year-olds, because they’re more naive and less likely to tell an adult about it,” says Nils Frederiksen, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office. Its Child Predator Unit recently charged William Ainsworth, 53, with using phony Facebook identities to lure hundreds of girls as young as 11, whose profiles revealed that they were vulnerable because of trouble at home or school. Ainsworth allegedly solicited nude photos from some and arranged to meet for sex. He has pleaded not guilty.

Investigators interviewed more than 30 girls; almost all said they were using Facebook with little or no parental knowledge when they communicated with the predator. Most used cell phones or other mobile devices, making supervision difficult.”

The above study alone is good enough for me to realize that allowing children under age 13 to use Facebook is a very bad idea! It’s dangerous just like many other social networking sites. Adults need to use sites like these with caution, never mind a minor who may not fully understand the risks associated with it. As adults, we understand that one needs to use discretion when announcing certain things on Facebook. Examples include leaving for vacation and letting the whole world know your house will be vacant. Something as simple as announcing the date of your wedding and where you plan to honeymoon or pictures you post while on your honeymoon can lead to a break in.

Food for thought: According to an article published on Parents.com, “based on the identity of the perpetrator, there are three distinct types of kidnapping: kidnapping by a relative of the victim or “family kidnapping” (49 percent), kidnapping by an acquaintance of the victim or “acquaintance kidnapping” (27 percent), and kidnapping by a stranger to the victim or “stranger kidnapping” (24 percent).” That said, the majority of abductions that occur are by a relative or acquaintance. Well now, your 9-year-old son or daughter is on Facebook. You, as the parent decide on who they should or should not friend on Facebook. Your child’s aunt, uncle, maybe a close friend or neighbor wants to friend them and you allow it. Now, your child and a friend head out to the movies with one another. They post it on Facebook, or better yet, your child’s friend posts it on Facebook because you don’t allow your child to post where they are going. Unfortunately, their friend decides to “tag” them on their Facebook profile… Enough said.

If by chance, Mark Zuckerberg did in fact “hint” about opening the social network to minors, as noted in an msnbc article written by Helen A.S. Popkin, he should be ashamed of himself and think about the potential consequences. Either that, or he is still far to young and naive to understand what the repercussions could be. He may need some social monitoring on his profile as well…again… just food for thought…
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Posted in Apps, Children, Education, Family, Girls, Humanity, Kids, Media, Mom, Motherhood, Parenting, Tech | Tagged abduction, bully, bullying, Children, cyberbullying, dad, Education, facebook, i-stuff, iPad, iPhone, iPod, Kids, Mom, Parenting, parents, school, social, socialmedia, socialnetworking, tech, Technology | 1 Comment

Books For Children And Social Awareness

Societal pressures affect people of all ages in one way or another. As a child, I was not only affected by the pressures of society, I succumbed to them in many ways. Dealing with bullies, having low self-esteem, and wanting desperately to fit in were things I was faced with daily. Fortunately, I was able to get past much of this but, will never forget what the pain felt like. Rather than dwell on the negatives, which don’t benefit anyone, I prefer to use what I went through to educate others and pray each day that my girls don’t ever have to be faced with the same kind of pain.

It took me almost 30 years to finally speak out about the bullying I experienced. Through this, a few things happened. First, I was interviewed by Care2 about my childhood and was featured on their activist profile page which reached mass amounts of viewers. Second, I was able to work with an amazing organization called uknow.com, who have developed a sophisticated parental intelligence software which helps us, as parents, change the way we parent since our children have changed the way they socialize. Makes sense right? The third reason is the main reason for this article. Through writing, and others reading what I have written, I was very fortunate to connect with another blogger with a fantastic website called S.O.S. Mom. Melissa (aka S.O.S Mom) recently contacted me about an amazing giveaway she is currently doing. She thought that I would be interested since the books she chose to promote are about bullying.

Hearing what Melissa had to say and learning more about the books, it only seemed obvious that we both needed to collaborate! Melissa, being one of the first bloggers I met in the blogosphere was easy for me to connect with. Reading her blog gave me a bit of insight on her… she is real. Her blog offers a ton of great giveaways as well as tips for a variety of things! My favorite giveaway though, is definitely near and dear to my heart. Her giveaway features the Howard B. Wigglebottom series books. Howard B. Wigglebottom: Learns About Bullies from the We Do Listen Foundation. The books are meant to help children with their self-esteem, how to deal with bullying and violence and much more. These are truly a “must have” for our children. Awareness about bullying has reached a new high! Educating and talking to our children about bullying promotes awareness as well as helps leave the door open for communicating about bullying. Please take a moment and check out S.O.S. Mom and participate in this giveaway!

Posted in Apps, Children, Family, Girls, Humanity, Kids, Mom, Motherhood, Parenting, Uncategorized, Women | Tagged books, bullies, bully, charity, Children, educate, humanitarian, Humanity, i-stuff, iPad, iPhone, iPod, Kids, nonprofit, Parenting, parents, philanthropy, social, society, teach, tech, write, writing | Leave a comment

Keep Your Kids Safe…

“Keep your kids safe from bad guys and bullies online and on the mobile phone.” Those were the first words I saw when I entered the Uknow.com website. Technology has changed the way our children socialize today. It is only logical to change the way we parent as well.

Uknowkids.com is helping parents do just that. The Uknowkids.com team developed the first parental intelligence software. The system allows parents to connect with their child’s digital world without being invasive. With cyberbullying being more prevalent than ever, and child predators using the internet while targeting children, this is a must have for all parents.

The days where mom and dad knew who all of our friends were, have changed. There were no cell phones while I was growing up. Home phones were the norm. Many families today do not use their home phones. Many children today do not even talk on the phone, rather, they text. The likelihood of parents knowing who their children are talking to, or what they are saying is slim in the digital world we live in.

A powerful tool like uknowkids.com is a necessity today. Through uknowkids.com, parents can monitor their children through all social media channels, cell phones, and other digital means. Parents can even use a Family map to locate children. The software has the ability to alert parents if their child or children are about to encounter a risky situation. There are an infinite number of ways a parent can utilize the software. Instead of being unaware and nervous about your child’s well-being, uknowkids provides a comforting alternative. Rather than trying to obtain information about children through means like reading text messages without their knowledge, build trust with the whole family by letting them know you want to protect them and your care about their well being by incorporating Uknowkids in your families digital world. Please take a moment and help spread the word about uknowkids.com and their software! All you need to do is this… Tweet

Posted in Apps, Children, Family, Girls, Kids, Mom, Motherhood, Parenting, Shopping, Tech, Uncategorized, Women | Tagged bully, cell, Children, cyber, dad, i-stuff, iPad, iPhone, iPod, Mom, Parenting, parents, phones, predators, protect, school, tech, Technology, text | 1 Comment

Care2

Being involved in humanitarian efforts is a passion I share with many people around the world. Finding my voice was not difficult. There are so many things I am passionate about. I could write for hours about different causes I believe in. If I had the ability, I would travel the world trying to help as many people as I could. Although I may not have the time to do all of that, I do have the time each day, to go through the Care2 website and participate as well as educate myself about the many things happening in this world and the amazing people involved in making a positive change.

A few months ago, I was asked if I saw something in the news. My response was simple. I said no. “Really” my friend asked. Again, my response was one word, “no”. I don’t watch the news. It depresses me too much. Try this tonight. Watch a full hour of the news. In front of you, have a piece of paper with two columns. The first, positive stories. The second, negative stories. Mark up that piece of paper with the amount of positive vs. negative stories you hear. Then, take a moment to reflect on how you felt while watching it. I will guarantee you feel a little stressed or possibly depressed the moment it is over… unless you are a sadist of some sort that is. I guess when people speak of “what is newsworthy,” the answer is apparent after one sitting of watching the news… It is rarely rainbows and butterflies…

Here is another thought… a lot of good is done in our world. Many people do amazing things every day! So, why on earth are they not making it to the news? Think of a rumor… negative rumors spread a lot faster than positive ones. For some reason, everyone wants to talk about the bad, assuming that would be newsworthy… either that, or again, they are sadists… that word seems to be on the tip of my tongue today… So, the same goes for the news. Bad news spreads faster than good news. Rather than talking about the bad, why not spread the word about the good? Email the news stations when your neighbor does something positive. Call them! Spread the word to the masses. Nothing is newsworthy if nobody knows about it.

This brings me back to Care2 and how I found it. It’s true, I do not like to watch the news. Fortunately, I like to read. Having the ability to pick and choose what I read is great. My web surfing and love of reading led me to Care2′s website. Care2 is all about different humanitarian efforts going on in the world. They cover non-profits and individuals looking to make a difference. The site doesn’t ever ask you for money. Rather, it educates the reader and allows you to participate with very little effort. Efforts can be as simple as signing a petition like the one I have on the side bar of my home page. It really is that simple. Take a moment and sign. Better yet, check out their website. You will be amazed at the amount of remarkable individuals making a difference right now. You can also check out the article they recently posted about me by clicking this link!