The Best of the Rest of the Web: Twitter Talk, Girl Scouts, and Connecting with Kids on Social Media

From the NYMetroParents November issue, a selection of thought-provoking, laugh-inducing, and just plain interesting facts and quotes from the web and the world of parenting.

girl with tablet

“Every day there’s a new plea for Snapchat or Vine or Kik or whatever else she’s learning about from the three hundred plus school friends and camp friends and camp counselors that she’s following on Instagram. And now that I’ve said yes to one of them, it’s hard to come up with a rationale for saying no to the others.”

—Risa Green, book author and mom of two, in a post entitled “Instagram Is the New Marijuana” on modernmom.com, in which she recounts the challenges of monitoring her 11-year-old daughter’s social media usage (sound familiar?)

getting to 50/50

“When we were young, we wondered why the Girl Scouts visited the elderly and learned macramé while the Boy Scouts built cabins and got dirty climbing rocks. These days, the Girl Scouts spend more time building skills and taking risks, yet we still put a premium on the ‘goodness’ of girls. We communicate to girls a host of things they ‘should’ be: nice, neat, well-behaved. These are fine virtues, but why make them a bigger priority for our girls than our boys?”

—Sharon Meers (@sharonmeers) and Joanna Strober, professionals, wives, and mothers with 5 young children between them, in the paperback re-launch of Getting to 50/50: How Parents Can Have It All, writing about the value of two-career households and division of labor (topics that never seem to go out of fashion); read more at gettingto5050.com

“My kids started school a few weeks ago and I’ve been twiddling my thumbs ever since. I clean a lot. Basically that’s all I do. And grocery shop. I need to get out more. I should be contributing to society. Volunteering.”

—Sharon Beesley (@sharonbeesley), stay-at-home Manhattan mom of three kids, on her free-spirited, alluring blog nyctaughtme.com, where you’ll find ponderings on everything from family dancing to Miley (videos included!) to “The Age of Happiness: 6 to 12 Years Old”

20 million school lunch sandwich bags go into U.S. landfills every day.

—that’s a fact that inspired three moms to create LunchSkins (@lunchskinsbags) reusable baggies (they’re BPA-, lead-, and phthalate-free, grease- and moisture-proof, and dishwasher-safe); these go-to snack and lunch bag options work equally well for toting crayons or a mini first-aid kit ($10.99 for two-pack; available at Target stores; lunchskins.com)

“Unfortunately, many parents with serious depression never get the help they need…. People who are depressed feel ashamed to seek help, or don’t have supportive family and friends. And it’s for them that I write this—in hopes that they’ll read and know that they’re not alone; that what they’re grappling with is real, and that seeking help doesn’t mean they’re weak. If you’re depressed, you owe it to yourself to do whatever it takes to get better. You owe it to your children.”

—Jane Roper (@janeroper), originally from Fairfield, CT, in a guest post on blogs.nymetroparents.com; Roper’s book Double Time: How I Survived—and Mostly Thrived—Through the First Three Years of Mothering Twins is full of warmth, honesty, occasional advice, and more than a little humor as she relays an engaging account of the first three years with multiples during which she struggles to keep a history of depression under control

Twitter Talk

@DawnRoode: Look what hidden treasure I discovered in my son’s new #backtoschool coat fr @ruumkudswear! @NYMetroParents

@elizanneshaw: Dear Man Boring His Eyes Into Me and My Son: We had a long day too. He’s being as quiet as a tired hungry kid can. He’s 7. You’re 57. Deal.

‏@ChildMindDotOrg: Does your child behave the same at home as they do at school? @Parenting breaks down kids’ classroom personalities. http://bit.ly/16qAg0o

@BabbleEditors: Why all parents should be social media experts: ow.ly/pbbFK

Relevant Directory Listings

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Adventuring Portal

<p><a name="m_-1473885667065203258__Hlk72147528"></a>Adventuring Portal runs Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) games for kids.   We have created a safe online space for tweens and teens to learn and play D&D.</p> <p>Our D&D Summer Camp session are a one-week experience.  Monday – Friday.  Each day will be 3 hours of gaming (with 2 breaks build in).  15 total gaming hours for $180.  If you have played with us before, you are entitled to 10% off.   </p> <p>Need your kids, nieces or nephews, grand kids or neighbor’s kids to be occupied for a bit so you can get work done & take care of your to-do list? Maybe your tween or teen is still a bit isolated and craves connection with their peers? Whether your teen/tween has played D&D before or is brand-new to the experience, this safe space brings players together to have fun and solve problems as a team in ways few other online opportunities do.</p> <p>All our games focus on experiential learning.   Our players leave knowing all the basic game play as well as experiencing: teamwork, bravery, compassion, generosity, negotiation, improvisation, gamer etiquette, strategy, critical thinking, problem solving, cartography and probability - all through online D&D adventuring!</p> <p>We are an inclusive organization and welcome gamers who are LGBTQIA+ and those on any spectrum. </p> <p>All girls’ groups available. </p> <p>I am a parent, a certified elementary school and middle school math teacher and last summer in the midst of the mess started Adventuring Portal, an online Dungeons & Dragons business for kids. There are so many benefits to playing D&D and I hope you will consider us as a great way for your child to safely socialize, grow as people and have a great time.</p>

Plugged in Band

<div>Plugged In is a nonprofit program that offers online programs to student musicians (Ages 10-18) in a non-competitive environment and provides band and individual performance opportunities in support of community and charitable causes.</div> <div> </div> <div>Our programs include:</div> <div> </div> <div>Rock Band Classes</div> <div>Private Music Lessons</div> <div>Summer Camp</div> <div>Digital/Audio Production</div> <div>Songwriting and Recording Workshops</div> <div> </div> <div>Oh and hey parents, we are now offering private music lessons and our rock band program for adults too. Reach out to us for more information. </div>

Gaga Madness

<p><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;" data-sheets-value="{" data-sheets-userformat="{">Gaga is the hottest new sport in NYC. We've taken the fun of GAGA and pushed it into overdrive. Energetic coaches, pumped up music, sideline commentary, gear giveaways and more. Stay active and keep fit with this new craze that's sweeping the city.</span></p>