Obama Addresses Bullying

Media attention has recently focused on to the subject of bullying.   Many victims or their families have spoken out on their experiences and several celebrities have been involved with public service announcements.  Last week, President Obama convened a White House conference on bullying. 

Invited to attend the conference were about 150 parents, students, and teachers who spoke of their experiences and devised ways to prevent bullying in the future.

Obama spoke about bullying he endured related to his name and the way his ears stuck out.  Michelle Obama encouraged parents open communication with their children so that they feel comfortable talking about school.

 

Check out the full article at USAToday.

 

Bullying is increasing more and more every year.  Students are teased at school, in the community, and electronically.  More attention has been brought to the subject because social media has been used to bully.  You Tube videos of kids beating a peer or Facebook pages dedicated to bringing someone else down have been created.

 

It’s nice to see more attention brought to the subject matter so that hopefully one day we can eliminate bullying.

Noisy Toys

noisy toys

Have you walked down a toy aisle or through a toy store lately?  Most kid’s toys these days make some sort of sound or require batteries.  I do not remember many toys when I was a kid that I owned that did this.  Toys with sounds and actions are exciting for children, but also take away from their creativity.  Children are forced to use their imagination and create their own actions and sounds when the toys do not do it for them.  Young children love engaging in imaginative play.

It is important for children to use these toys because they are being creative and expressing themselves the way they know how.  Typically, when engaging in this type of play, children will ask what this object is used for or what a particular object is. Letting a child know that the object can be anything they want it to be helps them be creative while engaging in imaginative play.  It is also important for children participating in pretend play to know what the real world use of the object is.  In pretend play, many children will also imitate what they have seen in the real world.

Some examples of toys that will increase creativity in children are; blocks, puppets, play kitchens, toy telephones, dolls, trains, and cars.

You do not have to get rid of all your noisy toys, but try something without noise next time you visit the toy store…it may preserve your sanity too!

Art Easel

ikeaeasel


I recently purchased this art easel from IKEA.  One side is a chalkboard and the other is a dry erase board.  It doesn’t come with chalk or markers, but with a dowel to attach a roll of paper. This particular easel was $15!  I love using an art easel in play therapy.

Easels are perfect for children from age 2 and older.  Children love using their imagination and enjoy art expression.  School age children enjoy using it as pretend play as a teacher.  Oftentimes, I find myself writing on it too!

Art and free expression is left out of many educational programs these days due to the heavy focus on academics.  Children need time during the day to express themselves artistically and relieve stress.

This particular easel folds up nicely that makes it easy to store under a bed or in a small space.  When I need more space in my office, I can fold it up and slide it between my desk and the wall.  The frame is made of unfinished wood, which can be painted or decorated easily.  I am thinking about painting mine soon!

Visit IKEA’s website here for more information.

Social Skills Group for Adolescent Boys

Social skills are made up of interaction and communication with others.  Social skills are put to use everyday.  Developing social skills for adolescent boys is important at this stage of life because of their increased interactions with others and emergence of self-esteem.  According to Erikson’s Stages of Life, boys in this stage are looking for their unique identity and direction in life.  Participation in this group will foster those qualities by touching on topics such as; communication, conflict resolution, taking responsibility, expressing feelings, and more!

Please see attached flier and contact Katie at katie@katieovercash.com or 704.523.5567 for more information or to reserve a spot.
Total cost for the group is $500.  Payments can be split up each week or full payment before group is eligible for a discount.