4-30-2008 Weekly News Summary for Parents

by |

OMG: (youtube video of the week)

YouTube Preview Image

Breaking News

Parents TV Council Attacks Gossip Girl

WSJ: Teens Are Going to Have Trouble Getting Summer Jobs

MSNBC: MySpace Brings Shy Kids Out of Their Shells

Hannah Montana/ Miley Cyrus is Hurting Disney Image with Racy Pictorial

Articles of Interest

Mandy Moore has a new Social Network to inspire women which I really like called UPumpItUp I made a ‘challenge’ called gratitude, where I challenge other girls to randomly say thanks to family, then friends, then their heroes and then an inspiring stranger.

Salvia is the New Legal Marijuana for Teens?

How to Manage Millenials in the Workplace

How to Travel Abroad with Kids cool article by Orbitz travel blog by Allen Ma

AJC: The Top 8 Family Adventures Recommended to Foreigners to do in America

Midwest Teen Sex Show Episode of the Week: “Break-Ups” This is a popular funny health class sex-ed site. Love them! This video is worth your time and teens are watching it non-stop.

Vanessa’s Picks of the Week

In preparation for Mother’s Day, Care.com is celebrating Care Heroes – Answer the question, “What makes your care hero special?” Two winning entries will be featured in a Care.com national TV commercial, and will receive a $400 American Express gift card and a $100 gift card to their local spa. Ten runner-ups will receive a Care Package that includes a $100 American Express gift card. Email CareHero@Care.com with the subject line: Nomination for Everyday Care Hero Contest,

Cute free ecard, at www.momyourock.com.

Prank Prom Letter: Students send home a letter to all senior parents on School letterhead asking them to buy alcohol for their kids.

TrendCentral A lot of people ask me how I stay so current on the web, I love trendcentral for those of you interested in current trends, fads and developments.

This week’s On Teens Today blog sponsor is Mia Redrick of Finding Definitions. Mia‘s book, “Time for mom-ME” is your essential guide for surviving motherhood. She spells out the five elemental cornerstones for creating a balanced, self-defined life. They are:
• Personal Growth
• Finding Time
• Finding Meaning
• Finding Connections
• Finding Solutions

If you liked this article get more Radical Parenting in our new book: Do I Get My Allowance Before or After I’m Grounded?

  • http://marshamlow.blogspot.com Marsha

    Hi, I found you through blog rush. I have a 17 year old daughter and appreciate all this wonderful information.

  • Scott

    If that video is real, I can’t tell if I’m more scared for those children because they are home schooled or because their parents would make a corny video about them being home schooled.

  • http://timthefoolman.com Tim

    I’m with Scott… that’s reminiscent of the E*TRADE commercial with the baby talking about getting his own clown and saying, “I underestimated the creepiness.”

    I find myself regularly wondering how well the US public schools would be performing (in comparison to other nations) if all of the parents who’ve pulled their kids out to homeschool or put them in private schools had instead put the same amount of time/energy/money into improving the local public school.

    What a weird notion… someone else’s kids would benefit, and not just mine. – Tim

  • http://vanessavanpetten.com Vanessa

    but it is such a funny video. I really think its real, dont you? You can’t make that stuff up, and they all look alike. Tim-I have my eye on your blog now, thanks for the comments!

  • http://timthefoolman.com Tim

    Vanessa, what scares me is that it almost certainly IS real. I’m all for being goofy about my kids, and I don’t doubt that *some* kids would enjoy the attention that this creates, but you’re basically signing each of the kids up for a group identity that is just… weird.

    The kids will likely be remembered for years to come for this video, instead of being remembered for the individuals that they are. That probably seems cool/funny at the moment, but my experience (with just two) is that kids want control over how they are associated with their parents, particularly during their teenage years. I can’t change the fact that my oldest looks like a clone of me, but I’m sensitive to not wearing the same haircut, or dressing like he does, and so on.

    The parents have chosen to make a sideshow of the family, and that (in my opinion) isn’t fair to the kids. – Tim