Wishing you and your family a successful new school year!
In This Newsletter
Cruel’s Not Cool!
“Why are kids mean to each other?” the 4th grader at the assembly asked me. With the epidemic of school bullying and peer harassment and a new school year about to start, your children might be wondering the same thing.
The pressure for peer approval often causes tweens & teens to lose sight of what’s right. By doing whatever it takes to fit in, kids make thoughtless choices or fail to act responsibly. So do the adults who live and work with kids. Our collective behavior can hurt others deeply and contribute to toxic, unsafe schools, aka a Culture of Cruelty.
You're probably as heartsick as I am when you hear of yet another desperate bullying victim who committed suicide. Well, I’ve had it with after-the-fact hand-wringing and head-scratching because time and again, when the horror of the latest tragedy fades, NOTHING CHANGES!
That’s why I’ve launched the new anti-bullying forum Cruel’s Not Cool! On my website and on Facebook students, parents, teachers, counselors and administrators are getting real about our Culture of Cruelty, how we all contribute to it, and what each of us can do to reverse the trend and make our schools more accepting places for all students all the time.
There is no “one” solution to end bullying. Anyone who says otherwise is either uninformed or in denial. But when we come together with open hearts and open minds we can reduce school bullying and harassment and make lasting positive changes. I invite you and your family to join this important national conversation on Facebook at http://facebook.com/CruelsNotCool — See you online!
Got a 6th grader? A 7th or 8th grader who hit some rough spots this past year? My award-winning Middle School Confidential™ series (illustrated by Matt Kindt) offers tweens real solutions to real problems. It’s all here in a full-color graphic novel format that instantly hooks even the most reluctant readers.
Click to order a personally autographed and inscribed copy of Book 1, 2 or 3 for the middle schooler in your life ($9.99 each plus shipping (and tax for CA residents).
Email List Discount
Order all three books for a special Annie Fox email list discount.
Podcast: Family Confidential,
Secrets of Successful Parenting
If you haven't yet heard my podcast*, Family Confidential, Secrets of Successful Parenting, have a listen on iTunes, or at FamilyConfidential.com. Just posted a new interview this week, The Immortality of Influence - Helping kids reach their full potential, with Salome Thomas-El, AKA Principal El:
“How do we (as parents & teachers) ensure that every child achieves his or her greatest potential?” To answer that question and others, Annie Fox talks with superstar educator Salome Thomas-El (AKA Principal El), author of “I Choose to Stay: A Black Teacher Refuses to Desert the Inner City” (Dafina Kensington 2003) and “The Immortality of Influence: We Can Build the Best Minds of the Next Generation” (Dafina Kensington 2006). More »
Other recent podcasts include Rosalind Wiseman (Queen Bees and Wannabes), Rachel Simmons (The Curse of the Good Girl), Ayelet Walman (Bad Mother), and Matthew Amster-Burton (Hungry Monkey – A food loving father's quest to raise an adventurous eater).
*What's a podcast? Click here.
Student Assembly/Parent Education Presenter
Annie regularly presents to students and parents. If you’re looking for a dynamic, informative and inspirational speaker, she’s now booking for the fall and spring. Here’s what folks who’ve booked Annie for their conference, school or PTA event say about her.
Parent Coaching
Annie works with parents who long for better communication with their tweens and teens. Via phone consultations, Annie offers unique insights into adolescence so that parents can better understand where their kids are coming from. As Mom & Dad learn to listen with more compassion and respond to their teens more effectively, the result is more respect, cooperation and peace in the family. Annie’s coaching is parent education tailored to your family situation. Annie’s work is not therapy nor is it intended as a substitute for family or individual therapy. For more information email Annie.
Follow Annie on Twitter and Facebook
Twitter is an amazing way to connect with folks seeking parenting advice and with other professionals providing parenting resources. Join the conversation!
In addition to the Cruel’s Not Cool! Facebook forum, visit Annie’s Facebook author page. Click on the pages’ Like buttons to stay current on her blog posts and podcasts.
Events Schedule
Here are some of Annie’s upcoming media and conference appearances, parenting workshops and student assemblies. For her complete calendar, click here. To request information on scheduling an event, click
here.
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