The Blog of P.U.R.E. and Sue Scheff

Source: Connect with Kids “During a time if people are nervous or scared, we can run out of essential goods. And so if people begin to prepare now and stock up on those things that can keep over time, such as non-perishable food and water and medicine… they’ll be in better shape for the pandemic.” – Rachel Eidex, Centers for Disease Control The outbreak of the swine flu has many Americans, parents especially, worrying about their own safety and the safety of their children. Before a possible pandemic, the CDC has several recommendations. First, get in touch with your child’s school. “I think they should ask the schools, does the school have a plan for pandemic influenza, what is the plan,” explains Rachel Eidex of the Centers for Disease Control. And, explains Jacquelyn Polder, also of the Centers for Disease Control, “How will they plan to communicate with parents regarding when the school will close or when it will open.” Next, the CDC recommends that families have plan that, accord...

As a fan of Ziggy - this character can always put a smile on your face. So parents, take a break and treat yourselves to some Ziggy Time . New York, NY - (April 28, 2009) – The world’s ultimate optimist is larger than life. Now appearing through the end of June, in the heart of one of the business hubs of the world, Ziggy is shining down from the CBS Jumbotron Billboard in Times Square in New York City. The Ziggy billboard, located at 8th Avenue and 42nd Street, is a huge monument of the major media marketing blitz that’s been happening for the launch of the new book, Zig-zagging: Loving Madly, Losing Badly – How Ziggy Saved My Life (HCI Books - $17.95), a memoir by Tom Wilson, Ziggy cartoonist. Complimenting the billboard and a host of positive pre-release book reviews, and the viral video interview , Wilson has been receiving bountiful media exposure and praise regarding the new book. In addition to an in-depth personal interview that is appearing in a nationally syndicated newspape...

Source: Connect with Kids “Academics was hard, and trying to fit in was harder.” – Brendon, 14, talking about his experience in a new middle school When Brendon Yag entered middle school, his grades began to drop and so did his attitude. “Academics was hard and trying to fit in was harder,” says Brendon, 14. His mom says she met with the principal, and didn’t like what she heard. “He felt I needed to let my child fail,” says Meg Yag, “to understand the consequences of what he was or was not doing.” Meg lost confidence in the school’s approach, but experts warn when dissatisfaction with a school turns into outward disrespect voiced by the parent, the child may feel it’s okay to misbehave. “The child is in between, like a custody case between the school and parents, and will take an opportunity not to respect the rules of the school,” says psychologist Dr. June Kaufman. Brendon’s mom was careful to not criticize the school in front of her son. “The school is a fabulous school for the ri...

Source: TeensHealth One of the toughest decisions that a lot of teens face is whether to have sex. If people decide to have sex, it means they must also take responsibility to protect themselves from unplanned pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). In the United States, the teenage pregnancy rate is higher than in many other countries. Approximately 1 million teens become pregnant every year and most didn't plan on becoming pregnant. In addition to preventing unplanned pregnancies, people who have sex must protect themselves from STDs. For those having sex, condoms must always be used every time to protect against STDs. The most effective way to prevent pregnancy and STDs is document.write(defabstinence120) abstinence . Couples who do decide to have sex can choose from many effective birth control methods. Check the articles below to learn some important information about different methods of birth control. You may be surprised — some popular ones aren't as effect...

Is your teen thinking of getting a summer job? It is a great way to teach our kids responsibility and accountability. With today's economy, it is difficult for adults to find jobs - so teens will need a plan. Here is some great advice and tips from TeensHealth . Source: TeensHealth Thinking about a summer job? This year, as more people compete for fewer openings, you'll need to start looking early, do your research, and apply to more positions. So it's more important than ever to have a job search plan. What's the Right Job for Me? To find a job that's right for you, make a list of your interests and strengths, as well as your dislikes and the things you need some improvement in, and keep them in mind as you look for a job. For example, if you love books or writing, a job in a bookstore or library might be perfect for you. But if little kids drive you crazy, a babysitting job may not be ideal. A job or internship should be about learning as well as making money...

It comes to a point where you are almost afraid to turn on the news. Kids with guns, teens shooting teens, threats, bullying and more - it is time for parents to take the time and learn more. Talk to your kids - open those lines of communication. Raising kids today has become more challenging than ever. I hear from parents almost on a daily basis and I am stunned at what these kids are learning and doing at such a young age. Source: Connect with Kids Can Students Prevent Violence by Telling? “He was saying ‘I’m gonna kill people,’ everyone took it as a joke. I can’t say that I would take it any differently.” – Joanna, 15, talking about the school shooting in Santee, California A student who seems strange, a comment that sounds frightening … how can students tell who’s serious and who isn’t, what’s a joke and what’s a real threat? The problem is students say those kinds of ‘jokes’ are made all the time. “I’ve had friends who were just like, ‘man I just want to kill that teacher’ or ‘I ...

Summer is almost here - help your kids get healthy, eat healthy and get outside and get active! Promoting positive eating habits and regular excercise can help build your child’s self esteem and help them to make better choices! Sabrina Bryan has teamed up with The Alliance for a Healthier Generation to launch their new campaign called empowerME by challenging today’s youth to make their own workout video! The top five finalists will receive autographed copies of Sabrina’s newest BYOU DVD and the winner will also receive a personalized video message from Sabrina. For more information on The Alliance for a Healthier Generation, the empowerME campaign and Sabrina Bryan’s video contest please visit http://www.empowerme2b.org/ . About empowerME: empowerMe is a by kids, for kids movement that inspires today’s youth to eat healthier and move more, motivate each other, and to be a solution to America’s obesity epidemic. One million kids have already joined the movement and we want one million...

Today is April 22, 2009 which is Suicide Prevention Day at the Capitol is a statewide event in which the Statewide Office of Suicide Prevention and the Florida Suicide Prevention Coalition are joined by advocates, survivors, grassroots organizations, youth and other state agencies to bring suicide to the forefront as a public issue. This year, the actual day is Wednesday, April 22 but we are holding several activities throughout the week of April 20th - 24th. Below, you will find the tentative schedule of events, but I encourage you to continue checking our website for the most current updates as they become available. ( http://www.helppromotehope.com/events/index.php ). Please see the attached flyer and Governor’s proclamation. If you or someone you love is thinking about suicide, please reach out for hope by calling:1-800-273-TALK (800-273-8255)24 hours a day; 7 days a week SCHEDULE OF EVENTS: April 22, 2009 at 9:00 AM, Capitol Building Plaza RotundaEducational Display Booths and Leg...

I love this website! Maybe it is because I can relate so well, after raising an ADHD son or how it explains in simple language the challenges parents of ADD/ADHD children have. As summer is almost here, read these fantastic “Summer Survival Tips” for families of ADHD children from Power Moms Unite website. Striking a Balance: Summer Survival Tips for Families Managing ADHD One major issue with ADHD and summer vacations is the bored factor. Once the novelty of having all that free-time-to-do-anything wears away, what to do with all that free time becomes a problem. On the other hand, over-scheduling and over-planning the summer can lead to burn-out and irritability for both parents and children. The art of managing ADHD during the summer is really about the art of finding balance. Several strategies can help strike this balance. Keep a calendar: Use a monthly or weekly calendar and write down vacation, camp and community trip dates. Kids need routine to feel secure, but be sure to leav...

Oh, I love getting introduced to new websites, books and more that help parents today with their wonderful children that have reached teen-hood. Debra Beck is an author and mentor helping parents understand peer pressure , bullying , self body image and other issues that our kids face today. The following article, written by Debra Beck , is an example of the vital information she has to share with others. Are We Training Teenage Girls to be Great Deceivers? by Debra Beck I read all these articles about keeping a close eye on our teens, to make sure they aren’t making any bad decisions and they are safe. I listen to parents discussing the same issues. How close is too close and what are we teaching our teens, without even knowing it? We read her journal, get on to her My Space account, and listen in on her private telephone calls. Are we sending a message that we care or are we sending a message that we don’t trust our kids? There’s a fine line between trusting your teenage girls and s...

As a parent advocate , I don’t only hear from parents, I hear from teens. Joni Poole is someone very special. Joni has possessed strength, dignity and courage through some horrific events. She is no longer a victim - she is a survivor and one that has a strong message to all others. She has created a website and advocacy group ( Sexual Abuse, Sexual Assault and Rape Awareness ) to educate others and hopefully prevent sexual abuse and assualt. Take a moment to read her story and pass it on - you don’t know who may benefit. Here is Joni’s story - and please read her website at http://www.saaraonline.org/ : My name is Joni Poole. I am a 17 year old Senior in high school. I am telling my story in hopes that it will help others who have been a victim of a sexual crime. I have also provided Public Information, from the Georgia Department of Corrections , about my offender within my story. On August 22, 2007, I was at work at a Toy Breed Dog Kennel. Near the end of my shift, around 7:45 P.M....

This can be a hot topic today - each parent has their own beliefs, however learn more about getting tattoo’s and important information for keeping it safe. Source: TeensHealth It seems like everyone has a tattoo these days. What used to be the property of sailors, outlaws, and biker gangs is now a popular body decoration for many people. And it’s not just anchors, skulls, and battleships anymore — from school emblems to Celtic designs to personalized symbols, people have found many ways to express themselves with their tattoos. Maybe you’ve thought about getting one. But before you head down to the nearest tattoo shop and roll up your sleeve, there are a few things you need to know. WHAT IS A TATTOO? A tattoo is a puncture wound, made deep in your skin, that’s filled with ink. It’s made by penetrating your skin with a needle and injecting ink into the area, usually creating some sort of design. What makes tattoos so long-lasting is they’re so deep — the ink isn’t injected into the epid...

Summer is coming - if your child is considering cutting their hair - make it worth something. There is not a better feeling than giving to those in need, especially with an organization such as Locks of Love . See if your child is a good candidate to help out other kids that need their generosity of love. WHAT IS LOCKS OF LOVE? Locks of Love is a public non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children in the United States and Canada under age 18 suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis. We meet a unique need for children by using donated hair to create the highest quality hair prosthetics. Most of the children helped by Locks of Love have lost their hair due to a medical condition called alopecia areata, which has no known cause or cure. The prostheses we provide help to restore their self-esteem and their confidence, enabling them to face the world and their peers. Mission Statement Our mission is to return a sense of self, c...

Source: TeensHealth What Is a Body Piercing and What Can You Expect? A body piercing is exactly that — a piercing or puncture made in your body by a needle. After that, a piece of jewelry is inserted into the puncture. The most popular pierced body parts seem to be the ears, the nostrils, and the belly button. If the person performing the piercing provides a safe, clean, and professional environment, this is what you should expect from getting a body part pierced: The area you've chosen to be pierced (except for the tongue) is cleaned with a germicidal soap (a soap that kills disease-causing bacteria and microorganisms). Your skin is then punctured with a very sharp, clean needle. The piece of jewelry, which has already been sterilized, is attached to the area. The person performing the piercing disposes of the needle in a special container so that there is no risk of the needle or blood touching someone else. The pierced area is cleaned. The person performing the piercing checks ...

Source: ReputationDefender Blog MSNBC and other mainstream media outlets have picked up on the Cisco Fatty story that involves a woman getting fired for her twitter post . Quoting from the page: Why waste valuable social networking hours getting yourself “Facebook fired,” when Twitter allows you to humiliate yourself quickly, and in 140 characters or less? A recent tweet by one would-be Cisco employee proves that when it comes to placing a permanent black mark on your resume via the Internet, Twitter is now the tool of choice. To illustrate, here’s the tweet the now Web-infamous “theconnor” shared with the world: “Cisco just offered me a job! Now I have to weigh the utility of a fatty paycheck against the daily commute to San Jose and hating the work.” It wasn’t long before Tim Levad, a “channel partner advocate” for Cisco Alert, shared this open response: “Who is the hiring manager. I’m sure they would love to know that you will hate the work. We here at Cisco are versed in the web...

Source: ADDitude Magazine ADHD behavior issues often partner with oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) -- making discipline a challenge. Try these strategies for parents of ADD kids. by Royce Flippin Every parent of a child with attention deficit disorder knows what it's like to deal with ADHD behavior problems -- sometimes a child lashes out or refuses to comply with even the most benign request. But about half of all parents who have children with live with severe behavior problems and discipline challenges on an almost daily basis. That's because 40 percent of children with ADHD also develop oppositional defiant disorder , a condition marked by chronic aggression, frequent outbursts, and a tendency to argue, ignore requests, and engage in intentionally annoying behavior. How bad can it get? Consider these real-life children diagnosed with both ADHD and ODD: Read entire article here: http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/879.html

What a beautiful day to spend with your family and loved ones. Holidays are a perfect reason to put aside your personal hectic schedules and celebrate what Easter means to you and share with those you love. In today's high-tech world, there doesn't seem to be enough one-on-one time together - but we can't give up that technology when we want to reach out across the country to touch more friends and families. Take the time today to smell the roses (tulips) or life in general.

Are you a parent at your wit’s end? Learn from my mistakes and all that I have learned over almost a decade of researching this very daunting industry of “teen help.” It has been almost 10 years since I made the HORRIBLE MISTAKE of choosing Carolina Springs Academy for my daughter who was struggling. Good kid making some not so good choices? I felt she needed some sort of program to help her through her struggles - and sadly what we received was anything but help. In the past 9+ years - I have successfully defeated WWASPS / Carolina Springs Academy through a jury trial as well as continuing to be a voice for parents that are at their wit’s end. I also won the landmark case ($ 11.3M Jury Verdict for Damages ) for Internet Defamation and Invasion of Privacy done to my by a former WWASPS parent that defamed me online. Read more about that in my upcoming book . If you are considering a Teen Help Program - take your time, do your homework - learn from my mistakes and gain from my knowl...

Pre-Order Google Bomb on Amazon.com today! Our society has reached an all-time low. Simple keystrokes can now literally ruin lives, reputations, and cause years of suffering, and require exorbitant amounts of time, money, and sanity to rebuild a life and/or career that has been shattered by cyberbullying, Internet defamation, identity theft, privacy invasion, and so much more. There is even a term that has emerged into our lexicon that describes the practice of manipulating the ranking of web pages: Google Bomb. Sue Scheff knows first hand about the devastating effects of Google bombing and Internet defamation. Her reputation was destroyed and she almost lost her business because of false and libelous statements about her and her business that went viral. Falling into a deep depression accompanied by agoraphobia, Sue could not escape the abusive attacks from strangers and the paranoia that accompanies such abuse. However, she fought back, and sued the figure head who launched the attac...

I know there are many parents that can relate to this. Personally, I grew up in a time when the divorce was almost unheard of, however once my siblings and I were all over 18, our parents divorced. What a relief! In many ways - it is my opinion, if you you know the marriage it over, and you have exhausted every avenue to keep it alive - and it is obvious that the union is over, in many ways divorce can be a better route for the kids - rather than living with the feuding and constant tension and confliction within the family unit. This is only my experience, take time to review these great tips from Connect with Kids. I am in no way promoting divorce, I am only saying as mature adults we need to do what is best for all involved. Of course, each family and their dynamics are different - requiring different solutions and results. Source: Connect with Kids Family Feuding “It’s very hard, and it takes a lot for me to trust somebody. I don’t trust people very openly, very freely.” – Katheri...

I absolutely love this website for all parents and guardians raising kids. Not to mention educators that work with kids. This article is particularly interesting since I was a parent that took that bait! Oh, hindsight is great! Source: PowerMomsUnite It’s a popular phrase in my house: “ Don’t take the bait .” We have variances on it including “don’t be a fish,” “some one is fishing,” and the most popular “looks like you’re going to land a big one.” With 5 kids in the house, several of who are close in age, they joke, tease, and well, see who can get a rise out of whom. A product of an only child family, I was deeply disturbed by this behavior when they were younger. I lecturing about home being a sanctuary and that no one was to be teased ever! I have come to accept that as a family with ADHD, and maybe every family has this to some degree- boredom breeds a little teasing/ poking/ fishing. The nature of the teasing has changed- due to my insistence that relationships be nur...

Choking Game - a teen thing? What is the Choking Game? It is definitely not a game any parent want to learn about the hard way. Learn more now about this horrific game through G.A.S.P. (Games Adolescents Shouldn’t Play). I received an email from a mother that almost lost her son to this game. She is now part of an advocacy group to help inform and educate others about this choking game. She understands she almost lost her son, as a matter of fact, she thought she had. Miraculously, her son survived after several days in a coma following this incident. As a parent advocate , I always encourage others to share their stories, mistakes, experiences etc in an effort to help others. This is one of the many parents that is hoping you will learn from her firsthand experiences . Source: G.A.S.P. It’s not a game at all—just an act of suffocating on purpose. Adolescents cut off the flow of blood to the brain, in exchange for a few seconds of feeling lightheaded. Some strangle themselves with ...

As I saw on the news last night, experts are saying that parents with children between the ages of 12-18 should have them screened for depression . It is not about promoting medication, it is about helping to understand if there are areas in their lives that can be causing stress and anxiety that can leave to making negative choices such has experimenting with substance abuse, hanging with a less than desirable peer group, feelings of low self worth, etc. Like adults, children can be prone to depression and stress and not mature enough to understand these feelings. With this, acting out in a negative way can follow. Take time to learn more . Source: USA Today Experts: Doctors should screen teens for depression. If you have teens or tweens, government-appointed experts have a message: U.S. adolescents should be routinely screened for major depression by their primary care doctors. The benefits of screening kids 12 to 18 years old outweigh any risks if doctors can assure an accurate dia...