The Astor Home for Children
     Because Every Child Deserves a Childhood
Ever thought about being a foster parent? Ever wondered how it really works? Have you ever heard about Therapeutic Foster Care? Ever wondered who is helping our troubled foster kids and where you would go in our area to find out more information? (more…)
Bed and Breakfasts -all you need to know!
I hope you had a chance to listen to today’s show on Bed and Breakfasts (B&B’s). My guest Sandy Soule, an international travel writer and self described B&B guru was so very helpful and got me yearning to travel to a cozy B&B or Inn somewhere soon! If you haven’t made it a point to book a B&B for your next trip, may I suggest that you go to www.bedandbreakfast.com and check out all the options you have in every US city, and many countries. Everything you need is there. If you aren’t sure what type of accomadation you are looking for, (more…)
IT IS CAMP TIME!
After a very hot Memorial Day weekend here in the Northeast, there is no doubt that summer has arrived. School will soon be out and if you haven’t already found a camp for your child - it is time. Don’t know which camp to choose? Don’t know what to look for in a camp, or if your child is ready for a sleepover? What do you need to know? (more…)
Great to have Jerry Sander, middle school counselor and author, on today talking about kids and technology. Sure they are far more techno savvy than us - but we do have a job to do and that job is to pay attention, as much as possible, to what is going on. They can get devoured in a world above their head (more…)
Having fun with your preteen ~
 I was so excited to have Karen Stabiner join me. She is a wonderful writer and has writen many books and articles. Her lastest book, My Girl: Adventures with a Teen in Training, is delightful and is exactly what we need. Girls doing things right. What a nice change of subject! As a mother of a daughter you often hear how bad it is going to be when your sweet, adoring child turns into an unrecognizable, sex-crazed, drug induced, violent teenager overnight. We are told our lovable girls will soon be young adults who we don’t know (and will secretly despise), who will hate us and tear our orderly life apart. What a bleak thought.  Not my daughter is all I can ever think.  And maybe I am right. What if all this negativity is not universally true? (more…)
Raising Spiritual Kids ~
If you heard James Garbarino, author of See Jane Hit, talking about violence and girls then you will recall that he said one of the main ingredients in the raising of children that aren’t violent, is spirituality. It doesn’t really matter in what form you incorporate that into a child’s life, except that it has to be consistent and genuine. Whether you go to church weekly or twice a year, or incorporate your spiritual teachings in your everyday life without a formal religion, is not important. What is important is that a child wholeheartedly believes in something bigger than them, and that there is accountability and love. An important subject that I am looking forward to talking about. Will keep you posted on when.
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Hope you had a chance to listen to my guest, Psychic Medium Lisa Ann,  from Spiritquest Healing Center. Lisa Ann is exceptionally good at what she does. She considers herself more than a psychic and meduim, she is a healer.  If you heard her today you can understand and appreciate her gift, and hear that she is genuine.
To learn more about Lisa Ann and Spirit Quest go to www.spiritquesthealingcenter.com  where you can learn about her journey, the work she does and the classes and workshops she offers.  You can also call her at 845-355-8022 for an appointment.
I was thrilled to interview James Garbarino, PhD. for Wednesday’s show. 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 ~
I hope you had a chance to join me and Jerry Sander today as we talked about the need to be creative. Jerry is the author of two novels, a parent of four, full time school counselor, coaches soccer and has a private practice and if he can find time to bring out his creative side - you and I can too!
It is more than just doing arts and crafts, what we were talking about today is allowing yourself to do what makes you feel inspired and alive, even if it has been dormant for years. Were you good at something years ago and let it slide because someone said something negative about it?  Maybe they were wrong and you were right (they were wrong - trust me!) and it is time to ignore them anyway.
You will be a better, healthier parent if you tap into that creative part of yourself and in turn your kids will have the permission (by example) to do the same.
Go to Jerry’s website www.thesandsoftime.net where you can order his book and learn more about his appearance at Borders in May.
Are Men and Women Equal? Are We Meant To Be? Are You Raising Your Children With this In Mind?Â
Equality between men and women is a matter for society, but it begins in the family.
What do you think? Are we equal or are we the just the same - but different?
Do the men you know support women’s choices or is there resentment at their success?
It is a loaded question and how you answer it may effect not only your life, but your families life as well.
If our discussion got you wanting to learn more, go Thursday April 13th at 7:00 to the Baby Grand Cafe on West St. in Warwick and join the discussion live. You will be glad you did!
Anthosia3c sponsored by Seven Jeans for all Mankind