Kids are more in tune with world affairs than you might realize. As a matter of fact, there has been a rise in minors using Twitter to keep up with the news.  

While it’s great that they’re interested in staying up to date, kids can get more and more anxious and fearful. 

So, although they might seem ok or unphased about what’s going on, start asking questions. The first thing you want to know is how much they know.

Before you start this conversation with them, consider a game plan. You might be surprised about what they could tell you. 

✅  First of all, ask open-ended questions. Example: What have your friends been sharing about the conflict in Ukraine? How do you and your friends feel about the school shootings in the U.S.? 

✅  Validate their feelings. Kids have a right to feel what they feel because their emotions are real to them.  

✅  Answer their questions with the truth. When you do this, adjust your language to their age appropriateness. Sometimes when we give too much i...

There are so many controversies about kids and social media.

This is what people have said. 

👉🏽👉🏽  Parents can get sued by social media platforms if their kids are caught on a platform they're not old enough to be on.

👉🏽👉🏽  Social media platforms are nothing but trouble for kids. 

👉🏽👉🏽  Kids shouldn't be on social media. 

👉🏽👉🏽  I don’t need to monitor my child’s devices. They’re responsible and know what to not do.

👉🏽👉🏽  As long as my child’s account is private, they’ll be ok. 

But the thing is, most parents don't know enough about the dangers and safety measures they should implement to keep their kids safe online.

That’s why before you give your child a device that allows them to get on social media, YOU MUST educate yourself first. 

To give you an idea about why you should seek out education about social media dangers, here are some stats. 

According to the Pew Research Center studies, the main method that parents monitor their children’s use of the web is by limiting the ...

Being a good digital citizen means that an online user has the knowledge and skills necessary to use digital tech for communication, participation in society, and the creation and consumption of digital content.

Before we allow children to use the internet, it is our responsibility to educate them to be savvy online users so that they don’t become part of the problem. We see a lot of cyberbullying, invasion of privacy, and a lot of oversharing of private information online that puts children and others in danger.

Here is a list of examples highlighting the traits and behaviors of a good digital citizen:

1. Respecting Others: Treat others online with kindness, empathy, and respect, just as you would in face-to-face interactions.
2. Practicing Responsible Posting: Be mindful of the content you share online, considering the potential impact on others and the reputation of yourself and others involved.
3. Protecting Privacy: Respecting the privacy of others by not sharing personal informatio...

One of the most common and harmful ways children hurt one another is through gossip.

Gossip is a form of social bullying. It can happen in person or online, and it often flies under the radar because it is disguised as conversation or curiosity.

Social bullying damages reputations and relationships. It can look like spreading rumors, encouraging others to exclude someone, sabotaging friendships, or quietly turning peers against a child.

Why Teaching Kids Not to Be an Audience Matters

One of the most effective ways to stop gossip is to stop giving it an audience.

When kids refuse to listen, gossip loses its power. The person initiating it often feels uncomfortable or embarrassed, and the behavior tends to stop.

This matters because children are often more influenced by peer reactions than by adult rules or lectures.

When peers show disinterest in gossip, it sends a strong message that this behavior is not valued.

Why Kids Gossip

Understanding why kids gossip helps adults respon...

When my kids were around 10 years old, they started asking for a smartphone. Specifically, for an iPhone. 

They did what all kids do. They were consistent with asking. 

My older daughter even wrote me a letter stating all of the reasons why she NEEDED to have one. 

She made promises and tried to convince me that she would be the happiest child in the world if she had a phone. 

I said NO. 

My intent was to keep them off social media and overall off the internet as much and as long as possible. But, their schools kept gearing them to use online tools for them to do their homework and projects. 

That frustrated me and it didn’t help me. 

But I persisted and continued to educate myself in case I was being unreasonable. 

As they got older they earned the privilege to use it. But, it was not without a lot of discussions and even a contract. That contract included an agreement about how to use it, what to report, and that they would be monitored. 

But, you know what I’ve learned over...

I’m going to make this short because I know many of you are celebrating Easter, Ramadan Karim, or Kosher and Happy Passover. 

However you are spending this week, I hope that you have an amazing time and that you’re spending it with people whose good energy refuels you. 

One thing I’d like to invite you to think about today is how much energy you’ve spent on the things and people you really care about. 

April is the beginning of the second quarter for many people who have goals that they want to accomplish before the end of June. 

So, if your goal is personal, professional, or both, take time to analyze and make necessary adjustments to your plan if needed so that you can get closer to your goal. 

Don’t forget to allow your cheerleaders to celebrate every win with you and most of all when you’re feeling burnt out, step away for a bit and then keep going. 

Lastly, include your children in your planning session so that they learn to set goals and encourage them to set their own pers...

If you are carrying pain caused by someone you cannot bring yourself to forgive, this is for you.

I recently found myself reflecting deeply on forgiveness while reading You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero. Her words stirred memories of my own struggles with forgiving people who had hurt me in ways that changed how I moved through the world.

I do not believe there is a single person who has lived without experiencing emotional pain. The impact of that pain varies, but some wounds run so deep that they shape how we trust, how we love, and how we protect ourselves.

For me, betrayal created walls. I would trust people only partway, maybe 80 or 90 percent, but never fully. At the time, I told myself I was being cautious. In reality, I was afraid.

What Forgiveness Is Not

Many people resist forgiveness because it is misunderstood.

Forgiveness does not mean:

• Saying what happened was acceptable
• Allowing someone back into your life
• Giving permission for the behavior to continue
• Forgettin...

My oldest child was born the same year the iPhone was first released. At the time, many people thought smartphones might be a passing trend.

Here we are years later, watching adults scroll through phones in grocery lines and restrooms, and raising children who have never known a world without smart devices.

That reality alone is worth pausing over.

Today’s kids are being introduced to technology earlier than ever. A 2017 survey by Common Sense Media found that by age 11, more than half of children had their own smartphone, and by age 12, nearly 70 percent did.

With that access comes exposure to information children are often not emotionally prepared to handle.

Early Exposure Comes With Real Risks

Many parents are surprised to learn that the average child in the United States is accidentally exposed to explicit content between the ages of seven and eight.

Add to that the fact that many children experience online bullying, social pressure, or unsafe interactions long before they k...

What did you believe about bullies when you were growing up?

I will be honest. Before I began researching bullying deeply, I believed that kids who bullied others were simply not being parented well.

I know. Judgy.

I assumed they were mirroring behavior they saw at home or copying an older sibling or family member. I thought bullies were just “bad kids” who enjoyed making others miserable.

And no one ever challenged that belief.
No one ever talked to me about bullying or the kids behind the behavior.

What I have learned since then completely changed my perspective.

Bullies Are Still Kids Who Are Learning

The truth is this.
Children who bully are still children.

They are not defined by their behavior. They are often kids who have not yet learned how to manage big emotions, navigate stress, or cope with hurt in healthy ways.

That does not excuse the behavior.
But it does change how we respond to it.

Not all children bully for the same reasons. Some act out because they are overwhe...