April 14, 2016 Most know Superman and Supergirl are adopted, along with Peter Parker as Spiderman, Dick Grayson as Robin, and heck even Bamm Bamm Rubble from the Flintstones...but all too often in … [Read more...]
The Gift of Failure Applies Far Beyond Parenting
December 6, 2015 by 1 Comment
Dec. 7, 2015: I've decided to freecycle the book I bought as my holiday gift to readers, so add your own "gift of failure" in the comments section (or tweet @ShapingYouth) for a chance to win it! … [Read more...]
The Girls Q&A Book: 50 Ways to Fix A Friendship
November 13, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Nov. 13, 2014 "There is no girls’ friendship drama that can’t be made WORSE… through staying silent, venting behind a friend’s back, or pretending things are just peachy," writes tweens and teens … [Read more...]
Sesame Street Takes On Bullying in Shows, Talking Points
October 18, 2011 by 3 Comments
Oct. 18, 2011 “Look at those feet!” Big Bird is told. “They’re ridiculous!” --“They are?”As he tries to get accepted into the “Good Bird Club,” he shifts from “happy to be me” to hanging his feathered … [Read more...]
Survivor, The Lunch Table Edition: SEL to Prevent Bullying
September 6, 2011 by 8 Comments
Sept. 6, 2011 As school starts this week for the very few left that haven’t had summer short-circuited with August start dates, we’re continuing our focus on solutions-based media to ramp up Social … [Read more...]
Rachel Simmons Chats About Mythbusting “Mean Girl” Media
August 31, 2011 by 7 Comments
Aug. 31 2011 Transitioning back to school is tough, especially when media and marketing blitzes the ‘what could be’ fear dynamics of peer acceptance based on what you wear, how you look, and who you … [Read more...]
Tips For Handling A Real Life “Sue Sylvester From Glee”
April 25, 2011 by 12 Comments
Update: April 2, 2013 Given Mike Rice's conduct berating players at practice captured on cam and sent all over the social media airwaves w/Rutgers news today, I have to reprise this post to remind … [Read more...]
Recap of White House Conf on Bullying Prevention, Pt.1
March 18, 2011 by 7 Comments
Mar. 17, 2011 Unplugging for a day is a respite, but being gone for a week amidst news of tsunami disasters and first ever media moments like the March 10 White House Conference on Bullying Prevention … [Read more...]
Raising Authentic Girls: Rachel Simmons’ “Be You! The Real Girl Tour”
August 31, 2010 by 7 Comments
August 31, 2010 “Be you!” Riiiiight. In a media environment that cynically exploits how to act, what to wear, why to buy and who to be, girls are repeatedly told to "be themselves." GirlsHealth … [Read more...]
Media Vamping: Twilight Talking Points, Bite Me Brouhaha
July 9, 2010 by 11 Comments
July 9, 2010 “There’s an obsession among many teens today for all things vampire, and it looks like the craze is now leaving a mark…literally.” So goes the opener for CBS News Early Morning Show … [Read more...]
Help SPARK a Name for the Sexualization Summit To Ignite Change!
June 21, 2010 by 7 Comments
June 21, 2010 As the summer solstice kicks off, the energy is heating up over the buzz about the SPARK! summit challenging the sexualization of girls and women in media, and advocates are already been … [Read more...]
Using Kid Lit To Read The Right Message About Bullying
April 18, 2010 by 12 Comments
April 18, 2010 Many of you know I clench when I hear the word ‘reporter’ (even though I’m one and the same, it’s different when you’re behind the keyboard) because media has powerful potential to … [Read more...]
Commodification of Kids: The Backlash Has Begun
April 16, 2010 by 17 Comments
April 16, 2010 About a year ago, TruthOut featured a poignant article called "Commodifying Kids, The Forgotten Crisis" by academic Henry A. Giroux, and though I read it with lots of head bobbing … [Read more...]
Author Rosalind Wiseman Brings Youth Editors Into YA KidLit Process
February 8, 2010 by 7 Comments
Feb. 8, 2010 I bought a copy of the new YA novel by renowned author Rosalind Wiseman of Queen Bees & Wannabes bestseller fame, called “Boys, Girls & Other Hazardous Materials” ...As soon as it … [Read more...]
Hey Dads, Watch Your Language: Girls Are Not For Sale!
February 4, 2010 by 3 Comments
Feb. 4, 2010 Today Senator Scott Brown (R) was confirmed in the Senate... ...And I confirmed not all that much has changed from yesteryear...Especially when girls and women are reduced to chattle … [Read more...]
USC Media Student Bryn Kressin & Packaging Boyhood Book Winners!
January 1, 2010 by 2 Comments
Jan.1, 2010 Happy New Year! This joyous photo of youthful exuberance is Bryn Kressin, at left; one of our Shaping Youth winners of yesterday’s Packaging Boyhood book drawing where we pulled names … [Read more...]
Save New Moon Girls: Help Us, Help Them!
November 12, 2009 by 1 Comment
Nov. 12, 2009 Long before the vampires and sparkling sagas of Twilight’s New Moon, New Moon Magazine delighted girls as a ‘go to guide’ for navigating adolescence and being themselves. After 16 … [Read more...]
Twitter “Women2Follow” Dedicated to Inspiring Girls!
November 6, 2009 by 31 Comments
Update March 8, 2019, Int'l Women's Day (Previous update: 2015 Mother's Day:) Found this flashback of a post written half a dozen years ago, when I was new to Twitter and seeking out like-minded … [Read more...]
Shaping Youth Joins New Moon Girls Media As Affiliate Partner
November 5, 2009 by 11 Comments
Nov. 5, 2009 New Moon Girl Media had a massive makeover last year giving girls 8 and up a vibrant, social, supportive space to express themselves without being bombarded by pop up ads for diets, … [Read more...]
Attention KMart Shoppers: Dating Violence on Aisle3
October 11, 2009 by 21 Comments
Oct. 11, 2009 This morning I was in a Sunday reflective sprawl, dogs piled atop the bed, newspaper everywhere, family away, foggy S.F. Bay keeping me nuzzled into my comforter, when I checked in on my … [Read more...]
