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Safety Tips for Kids & Families ~

August 31st, 2006

“Changing times require that children be better prepared for an emergency,” says Debra Holtzman, an internationally recognized child safety and health expert and the author of the new book, The Safe Baby (Sentient Publications, or go to her website www.thesafetyexpert.com 

Ms. Hotzman has many helpful tips about keeping our children - and our families - safe.

Does your family have a family password? You should. Do you make sure your child walks home from school with a buddy and not go through solitary paths in the woods?

Make sure you don’t have your child’s name on the outside of their backpack or clothing. Have you taught your children the tricks abductors use (help me find my puppy, for example) Do you make sure they know to walk facing traffic?

Yes, I know some of these are basic tips but please remind your children of these things - often. Children forget easily. Ms. Holtzman was quick to say this is not about fear - it is about precaution and being in charge. Most likely nothing will ever happen, but just in case it is calming to know your child is prepared and aware.

Some useful items to have in your child’s backpack on this first week of school:

1. An emergency contact list.
2. A Child ID Card.
3. A small Flashlight or Penlight. To be used for power outages. Make sure to check batteries monthly.
4. A Whistle. If your child is in danger, he/she can blow the whistle to attract attention.
5. A Fully-Charged Cell Phone or Walkie-Talkie.
6. Small bottled water and snack. If your child gets stuck inside in a building or bus he/she will have a snack handy.
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SHOW ON STEPFAMILIES  ~ Last month I did a show on stepfamilies and I had an overwhelming response. So I did another show dealing with stepfamily issues Wednesday July 12th, with Elissa Gross, a therapist who deals with stepfamilies, and is also a stepparent.  

I hope you had a chance to listen and that you found some solace, answers and wisdom that can help you cope with any stepfamily issues you might be dealing with in your own life.

Some good tips to follow are:

        Never take it personally

  • Go slow in establishing relationships, rules and new traditions.
  • Work hard to make your marriage strong - it helps both spouses deal with any difficult situations that may arise.

Go to www.stepfamilies.com to learn more and get in touch with Elissa Gross or other therapists to consult with.

     ~ And Don’t Forget to empower your Kids

                           to also Make Good Choices  ~

James Garbarino talks about Violence and Girls: Author of ‘See Jane Hit’

August 24th, 2006

I was thrilled to interview James Garbarino, PhD.  Dr. Garbarino is the author of many books on child deveolpment and violent trends in our kids, including  Lost Boys: Why Our Sons Turn Violent and How We Can Save Them, and his most recent book See Jane Hit: Why Girls Are Growing More Violent and What We Can Do About It.

Dr. Garbarino, a psychologist and  internationally recognized expert on child development and youth violence, serves as advisor to many  organizations and is author of over 18 books on child development. He is the former president of the Chicago-based Erikson Institute for Advanced Study in Child Development and last fall he joined Loyola University’s psychology department.

His book, See Jane Hit,  has created a lot of media attention. CBS, CNN, NBC, ABC and all major news magazines have done stories on girl violence and his book. Parents and educators are listening also.Where does all  this violence come from? Movies, TV and video games are a major negative influence (no surpirse there) but what he had to say was eye opening. The sexualized, attractive and violent hero is new. It used to be that the good guys (male or female) were not violent or sexy. That is not the case any longer. Now the sexy female who kills is often a hero. Is it cool to be mean? It seems so.

Could your child have a private life you don’t know about? Possibly, so pay attention. And make sure that you incorporate spirituality into your family’s life. It can give a adolescent something beyond materialism to believe in, and that can save their life in times of  turmoil.

He had some very helpful and enlightening information that I was glad he shared. Great insight -  and so valuable to all of us.

If you haven’t read his books, See Jane Hit, Lost Boys or Parents Under Seige, you owe it to yourself to do so. Go get a copy.

  You may also want to look at frequent guest Jerry Sander’s website (to your right) and read his published article about Girl-on-Girl Violence. It is very helpful and worth reading ~

 August 23rd Show: Tri-County Woman Magazine 

www.tricountywoman.com

Feeling like you need to connect to all the other woman living here in the Hudson Valley? Need to know what is going on and to bond with others like yourself?

Well, I must admit I feel that way often especially since we are all so spread out here in the Hudson Valley. 

Have you read a copy of Tri-County Woman yet? I hope so. It is available throughout the area in libraries, stores and other areas that woman frequent and it is free.

Tr-County Woman is designed to celebrate all woman who live in Orange, Ulster or Dutchess counties, including the surrounding areas, and is full of information to make our lives here easier to navigate and be more fulfilling.   

Publisher, founder and editor of Tri-County Woman, Felicia Hodges, is an inspiration for all of us. After being diagnosed with breast cancer and losing her father, Felicia decided that postponing her dream was postponing her life. When you are faced with (more…)

Feng Shui Show - August 16th

August 16th, 2006

Feng Shui ~

www.fengshuiforreallife.com

Well, I certainly learned quite a lot about Feng Shui today (August 16th) with Feng Shui Practioner Carol Olmstead - she was very informative!

 I am instantly going to fix the window in the Wealth Sector of my home (facing the door it is the upper left area of the house)and rethink some of my dried flowers - or at the least change them seasonally. And make sure that you have “greeters” in the entrance of your home. And if you are selling your home (more…)

August 2nd, 2006

OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL KIDS ~ Did you hear the kids last week talk about how they are feeling going into middle school? They were great and we all learned a lot from them - mostly they are more excited than scared! Good for them. School counselor Jerry Sander was with us as well giving the kids helpful hints and answering some of their questions.Good to know they are all excited - maybe it is just parents who are a bit fearful!               *************************

Bird Flu and Disaster Preparation Show

Hi ~
Hope you got a chance to listen to the show (August 2nd) with Verona Fonte author of Bird Flu -What Do Do: Prepare to Survive. I really enjoyed talking with her and thought her book was quite helpful. I highly recommend it for all of us - because hey you never know and it is always good to be prepared.

Got to her website www.birdfluwhattodo.com (more…)

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