Dot Girl Supports the Born This Way Foundation

We are inspired, very inspired by the Born This Way Foundation, founded by Lady Gaga and her mother Cynthia.  Their goal to help build a braver, kinder society is exactly what we need in these scary times, whether it be school kids being bullies or radio commentators insulting others for expressing opinions contrary to their own.  We encourage all of you to visit the Born This Way Foundation website to find out how you might contribute to this movement by spreading the word, telling your story or donating to the Foundation.  Let’s make this a better world for our children and ourselves.

Have you taught your kids Facebook etiquette?

It used to be when I was growing up girls could attend etiquette classes.  You would learn how to properly fold a napkin and hold a fork, how to address thank you notes and your elders, and how to entertain your future husband’s coworkers.  Now, etiquette has a whole new twist due to the explosion of social media sites.  Parents of course hold the reins here, saying ‘no’ to your children about social media sites is a common practice.  For those parents who do let their kids sign on to Facebook or other sites, it is imperative to teach your children proper etiquette for using the sites and to also protect themselves from misuse of the site by their Facebook friends.

Julie Weed in her article Parents should help teens take a critical look at Facebook offers tips from parenting experts on navigating the social media world with your teen and how to protect teens from the downsides of Facebook and other sites.

Social media has opened the world to kids at a level not imagined when I was growing up.  However, with any social setting, it’s best to learn the proper etiquette to more fully enjoy the experience.

Did he really need to shoot the laptop?

Caution – some of the language in this video may not be appropriate for young children.  When you are done watching the video, tell me, did he really need to shoot the laptop?  I agree that the daughter choose the wrong medium to complain about her parents.  I can’t help thinking about my own childhood, I mean, sure, we would complain about our parents, but to our friends in the room, and it couldn’t be texted or tweeted since those technologies did not even exist then.  It could be repeated of course, but on a much smaller scale.

I strongly believe that children do learn from their parent’s examples of behavior.  And this daughter has just witnessed an example of her parent being violent to settle a grievance however justified that grievance may be.  The father definitely knew how to get his daughter’s attention – but did he really need to shoot the laptop?

Have You Complimented Your Kids Today?

Today is National Compliment Day and my thoughtful readers are very wise to be reading this post. You are all great parents….gee, it sure is easy to compliment. Sometimes it is not easy to do though with kids, you get frazzled and busy, the kids get on your nerves, work or other family pressures get in the way. But in the end, it doesn’t take even a minute to compliment your kids or anyone else for that matter. A simple ‘You look nice today’ said in a sincere voice can brighten any child’s day as they go off to school. Noticing a job well done on a homework assignment or home chore will increase confidence. The best bonus of compliments is that children will follow your example and spread compliments to their friends and other family members. So go ahead, compliment away, today and everyday!