Love Our Children USA
Lifetime Moms Clean Start Challenge - Week 8
The pressure is on as we reach the home stretch of the Lifetime Moms Clean Start Challenge. For the last three months, I've been meeting incredible individuals - from bullying prevention experts to authors, actresses and more and this week, I'm sharing the latest details about our upcoming event on March 3.
Our post this week shares all the details about what goes into planning an event of this magnitude. In fact, later this morning, I'll be designing a flyer that we can send out to parents in our community in the hopes that they will join us for a very special evening with their kids.
My amazing coach Shaina shares great advice this week on how you can plan a community event in your area. And I have to say, when you do plan a large event, there are tons of logistics that go along with it. From selecting the venue, to arranging the set up on stage, to providing food and refreshments, to designing programs, to producing the actual discussion amongst experts, parents and kids.
During the event, we'll start out with parents and kids together in one auditorium and then, we'll be producing separate workshops for students while experts speak with parents about the dangers of cyber-bullying and bullying. I'm hoping to craft an experience for adults and students where everyone is welcome to share their opinions and experiences, ask questions, listen and learn. We have a lot of ground to cover in two hours but my hope is that by the end of the evening, everyone will walk away feeling informed and inspired.
Take a look at our latest video on the Lifetime Moms Clean Start Challenge site and then don't forget to vote for Team Beth as we hope to raise $10,000 to support Love Our Children USA and Stomp Out Bullying. Plus, you can enter to win a host of great prizes provided by our sponsor, SC Johnson.
Visit this link for details about our March 3rd event and if you live in Westchester County, NY, we hope you will take time out of your schedule and attend! It promises to be an unforgettable night!
Posted in: Lifetime Moms Clean Start Challenge, Love Our Children USA on 02/23/2011
Beware of Moms Who Cyberbully
Many of us know of the many cyberbullies lurking online just itching to hurl a meanspirited comment or tweet to an unsuspecting victim, and frankly here at Role Mommy, we have decided to take a stand against bullying - both in person and online! Over the next year, we will be featuring important articles on the site on how you can combat bullying and even determine if you're a bully yourself. Plus, this fall, we'll be hosting both online and in person events for parents and children in support of Love Our Children USA, the nation's go-to prevention organization for all forms of violence and neglect against children in the United States. For our first entry, Ross Ellis, the founder of the organization, whose website STOMP Out Bullying offers valuable advice and information on how to protect both your children and yourself from bullies, shares important insights into the dangers of cyberbullying among moms.
Moms Who Cyberbully
Think cyberbullying is just for kids and teens?
Think again! Moms are cyberbullying!
New York mom Gillian Foreman is a breastfeeding advocate who twittered about breastfeeding. The next thing she knew she was being attacked online by her next-door neighbor.
Now her next-door neighbor won't stop passively aggressively attacking her, making snide comments online -- being just plain mean.
While many moms Twitter and Facebook to connect with other mothers, some get angry, jealous and plain nosy when it comes to the Internet.
Some want to chide their friends and neighbors, while others are busy finding out what their kids are doing with other kids.
Take for example, Lori Drew, 50 of Missouri, who was accused of participating in a cyberbullying scheme against 13-year-old Megan Meier who later committed suicide.
And there is Long Island mom, Margery Tannenbaum 40, whose daughter apparently got into some sort of fourth-grade argument with a classmate so she went on Craigs List and used the site to exact revenge on the girl's rival.
Tannenbaum, a licensed social worker is charged with aggravated harassment and endangering the welfare of a minor, both misdemeanors.
And New York City mom, Nicole Sprinkle knows about cyberbullying firsthand. She has been on the giving and receiving end of this malicious online behavior - sniping, watching as seemingly innocent subjects on her neighborhood parenting listserv turned into nasty arguments.
More mothers find that expressing their views online, doesn't bring the community they're after, but it does bring insults and judgment from strangers.
These experiences are not isolated. They're just the ones we're hearing about in the media.
What is all of this about?
It's called cyberbullying!
Cyberbullying is social terror by technology ... and it's on the rise.
When a kid of any age, up to 18 is threatened, humiliated, harassed, or humiliated via use of technology --- this is Cyberbullying. It's harmful and it's dangerous!
This social online terror is used through e-mail, cell phones, pager text messages, instant messaging, Web sites, online personal polling Web sites. It is done deliberately and repeatedly and is used by an individual or group with the intention of harming others.
Originally a kid and teen issue, more and more moms are cyberbullying their peers and kids!
While most kids and adults use the Internet responsibly, others are using all of this technology to terrorize and Cyberbully!
Cyber Bullying is the perfect way for bullies to remain anonymous.
Cyber Bullying makes it easier for bullies because they are not face to face with their victim(s.)
And adult cyberbullying can cause a whole host of other problems like someone smearing your good name all over the Internet or even worse - identity theft. See Google Bomb.)
What goes on the Internet STAYS on the Internet!
This online behavior is dangerous and if these are the role models that our kids and teens look up to, then what chance do we have of not only keeping our kids safe online, but teaching them right from wrong.
There are consequences for these actions and parents must display appropriate Internet behavior ... for themselves and their children.
To learn more about cyberbullying and safe online practices, visit Love Our Children USA.
Posted in: Blog, Great Causes, Love Our Children USA on 06/13/2010
