The Best of the Rest of the Web: Bullies, Being a Savvy Auntie, and Troublesome Trips to the Beach

From our August print issues: check out our latest roundup of thoughtful, observant, and laugh-out-loud quotes from a selection of our favorite mom (and dad!) bloggers and writers.

 



“Bullies aren’t stupid; they hide what they are doing so that they don’t get in trouble.
bully action guide cover

Victims hide it because they worry that talking about it might make things worse (which some
times happens). Cyberbullying is even harder for adults to see: It’s silent, it can happen when the victim is alone, and it occurs within a world and context that most adults don’t know about — that is, unless they get up the nerve to ask.”

-Edward F. Dragan, Ed.D., former teacher, principal, school superintendent, and now a legal consultant for high-profile school bullying cases, in his book The Bully Action Guide: How To Help Your Child and Get Your School To Listen — which, in our opinion, should be required reading for all parents today. Visit www.thebullyactionguide.com.

 

Mommy Shorts Toddler Beach Pie Chart

-Mommy Shorts blogger Ilana created this pie chart after a day at the beach with her daughter Mazzy (who, writes Ilana, “after taking a salt water dip, took a roll in the sand…and then the breaded chicken cutlet had the nerve to ask me to pick her up!”); read more of the hilarity at www.mommyshorts.com.

“I am so tired of us being urged to act as if THIS generation of kids just happens to need more safeguards than any other group of kids the world has ever seen.”

-Lenore Skenazy, a.k.a. the Free Range Mom (you likely heard about her more than a year ago when she got tons of press for letting her 9-year-old ride the subway alone). In the media frenzy that followed, she launched her blog to explain her parenting philosophy: “I believe in teaching children how to cross the street and even wave their arms to be noticed. I’m a safety geek! But I also believe our kids do not need a security detail every time they leave the house.” Best part about her regular posts? They’ll make you LOL — and really think. Visit her online at www.freerangekids.com.

 

Return Psavvy auntie book coverolicy?
“As savvy as we are, sometimes our precious little nieces and nephews cause us to…Just. Totally. Lose. It. When that happens, it is our job to keep ourselves in check and self-administer whatever sort of time-out we need. Here’s what you do…Think positively….Acknowledge your meltdown….Never hit….Return the kids to their rightful owner.”

-Melanie Notkin in her first book, Savvy Auntie: The Ultimate Guide for Cool Aunts, Great-Aunts, Godmothers, and All Women Who Love Kids (William Morrow) — a great gift that’s celebratory, useful, and yes, has a sense of humor.

 


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Instituto Cervantes

<p><span class="" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;" data-sheets-value="{" data-sheets-userformat="{">Children and teenagers learn to understand and express themselves in Spanish, while improving their communication skills through a dynamic immersion program taught by NATIVE TEACHERS that combines CLASSES, ARTISTIC WORKSHOPS and FUN ACTIVITIES! All of our high-qualified teachers are native Spanish speakers who adapt the structure of the class to the needs and levels of each group while conducting the classes entirely in Spanish. We offer both Spanish Summer Camps and Regular Courses for children along the year to foster language learning and multicultural understanding.</span></p>

Broadway Dance Center Children and Teens

<p dir="ltr">With more than 35 years of experience, Broadway Dance Center Children & Teens provides young movers ages 3-18 with exceptional training. BDC delivers the finest all-around dance experience for students by offering a wide variety of styles and levels, performance opportunities, and the highest caliber dance instruction that only New York City and BDC Children & Teens can provide.</p> <p dir="ltr">This studio is so much more than a training course for young dancers; it is a diverse, family-friendly community for budding creatives. It has an exemplary faculty who follow the vision to not only develop a dancer’s love and ability in dance, but to do so in a nurturing and supportive way.</p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-16583089-7fff-d8a9-61c2-8f689f7348b2"></span></p>

Treehouse Shakers

<div>Treehouse Shakers’ Branching OUT After-School program is for ages 12-14. This awarded program is for young people who identify as LGBTQIA+, or are seeking to become better allies. Branching OUT centers on discovering and exploring one’s story and identity through an intentionally artist-led format. During our community-based program, young people will explore and reflect on their own story to create a larger, more meaningful experience, while gaining self-empowerment and gathering with like-minded peers. Through the guidance of our awarded teaching artists, young people will create narratives that will be turned into podcasts, dances, songs or poetry. </div> <div> </div> <div>Young people have the opportunity to learn new art forms, work with professional artists, while building a meaningful community.</div>