Day: March 10, 2011

This week’s Lifetime Moms Clean Start Challenge assignment features an interview with Adele Griffin, a young adult novelist and author of the best seller The Julian Game and her mom, Priscilla Sands, the principal of an all girls school.
“The Julian Game,” focuses on the topic of mean girls and cyber-bullying. The book centers on Raye Archer, a new girl who moves into town and feels like an outsider until Ella, the most popular girl at school, uses her to exact revenge upon the school’s heartbreaker, Julian. Although Raye secretly harbors a crush on Julian, she follows Ella’s orders in order to get into the “in” crowd. Raye creates a fictitious Web profile to lure Julian in, and the two develop an online relationship that eventually carries over into the real world. But that’s when Raye’s life becomes a living nightmare, when Ella tries to destroy her online and at school by sharing the details of their plan with all of her friends.
While speaking with Adele, she revealed that she was bullied when she joined a new school and had to contend with mean girls and managed to make it through by finding a few friends who remained her close confidantes throughout high school. Visit the Lifetime Moms Clean Start Challenge page to check out Adele’s video and find out how she has discovered amazing teens online who are using the Internet and the blogosphere in positive ways.
I also got the chance to meet Adele’s mom Priscilla Sands who is a principal at an all girls school and helped her daughter as she did her research for the book. Priscilla offered amazing advice that we’re sharing in the video below. The most memorable quote from our talk truly hit home: “Never interview your child for pain.” Take a look…

If you want to find out more about bullying prevention, then join the White House today at 12:15 pm on Facebook for an online chat about this growing epidemic.
Then, at 5pm ET Dr. Phil hosts a live chat on UStream today following their show which features Meaghan Martin and Maiara Walsh, stars of Mean Girls 2. The girls will be on Dr. Phil today (check local listings for time and station) to speak out against bullying, and share their advice with some real life mini mean girls.
In addition, Maiara Walsh will share words of empowerment for young girls and what it was like working on the movie in a live chat at 5pm PT/8pm ET at UStream. Questions for the chat are currently being accepted by visiting this link.
If you’re interested in finding out more about how to protect your child both online and on the playground visit Stomp Out Bullying, a signature program of Love Our Children USA. And don’t forget to visit the Lifetime Moms Clean Start Challenge where you can enter to win prizes provided by SC Johnson. Plus, join my coach Shaina and I and vote for Team Beth as we help boost self esteem in kids. The winning team will receive $10,000 for their chosen charity and we’re supporting Love Our Children USA!