Last week, I was reading a news story about a group of teenagers from New Zealand who were stranded in the Caribbean at the beginning of the pandemic, having just completed a study-abroad sailing program. The educators in charge decided that the best course of action was to sail back to New Zealand with the teens, where they landed this week. The group has been practicing … [Read more...] about A New Kind of Mental Health Awareness: Fostering Mental Health While Practicing Physical Distancing
Parents: Just Because We Can Doesn’t Mean That We Should
A few weeks ago, during a conversation about the ways in which technology has infiltrated our lives, someone suggested that I watch a particular episode of Black Mirror, the Netflix series that is billed as the updated version of The Twilight Zone. In the episode, a mom, frightened when her preschool daughter wanders off from the playground and disappears for a short time, … [Read more...] about Parents: Just Because We Can Doesn’t Mean That We Should
What Every Parent Needs to Understand About Marijuana and the Adolescent Brain
“Which is worse for you, alcohol or pot?” With the increasing trend toward legalizing marijuana, this is a question that is foremost in the minds of a lot of teens right now, and it is critical that parents and educators understand a few important things before they try to respond. Most responses miss the real issue: the difference between the adult brain and the … [Read more...] about What Every Parent Needs to Understand About Marijuana and the Adolescent Brain
Why Social Justice Matters & What We Can Learn from Emma Gonzales, Naomi Wadler, & Edna Chavez
Last week, I spoke with the founders of Girls Leadership, whose mission it is to equip girls with the skills to exercise the power of their voice. In our discussion, we spoke about the importance of actively teaching social justice, particularly to girls. We are in a unique time period, one in which we are beginning to see a turn-of-the-tide on many levels. In order to leverage … [Read more...] about Why Social Justice Matters & What We Can Learn from Emma Gonzales, Naomi Wadler, & Edna Chavez
Focus On Resilience In Wake of School Shootings
Each year, one of the administrators from the middle school tells a story to incoming parents. The story involves a chrysalis that is struggling to turn into a butterfly and a kind person who, after seeing the painful process, decides to help remove it from its binds. The problem is that it is in the very process of breaking free that the butterfly gains the strength that it … [Read more...] about Focus On Resilience In Wake of School Shootings