Raising Authentic Girls: Rachel Simmons’ “Be You! The Real Girl Tour”

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 has a perky “Be healthy. Be happy. Be You. Be Beautiful” site. Girls Inc is “inspiring girls to be strong, smart and bold.” Jess Weiner is "Creating A Nation of Confident … [Read more...]

What Does a 13-Year Old Boy Know About DATING Violence?

Feb. 2013 update:  First and foremost, yesterday's US Senate/VAWA vote overwhelmingly passed reauthorization and now moves on to the House of Representatives. What IS the Violence Against Women Act, specifically? Here's a comprehensive snapshot of content and history, from the National Domestic Violence Hotline. In recapping these vast resources and Twitter handles at the … [Read more...]

This Valentine’s Day, Fall Madly In Love With Yourself

Feb. 14, 2020 An entire decade has passed since I wrote this and the 'self love' movement has blossomed, reminding all that social media showboating of relationships is not intimacy, and "love thyself" is a pathway to clear hearts and minds to manage all the media machinations. Love that youth are "getting it" and inoculating themselves from the social staging … [Read more...]

Author Rosalind Wiseman Brings Youth Editors Into YA KidLit Process

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 hit my home front, my daughter and her ‘BFF’ clamored to snag it from me, lured in by the cover visual alone. Mean Girls writer and co-star Tina Fey had a snarky testimonial on … [Read more...]

Josh in a Box: Helpful Advice For Parents of Teens!

Oct. 21, 2009 What if I told you a few of my favorite advice slingers and youth analysis pros aren’t even parents at all? There’s Anastasia Goodstein of Ypulse speaking from the GenX pulpit (ok, her days are numbered; she’s about to go on maternity leave) and Courtney Macavinta of RespectRx...Along with wünderkind GenY entrepreneur and media machine Vanessa Van Petten, … [Read more...]