I turn 50 tomorrow. I was fine with it until about six months ago went it felt like everything went sideways. My best friend got breast cancer, I got a thyroid infection and suddenly mortality was scarier than any Freddy Kruger movie. So, being a writer, I had to make a list of 50 things… More They tell me 50 is the new 30. I don’t think so.
Tyler Headley is a sophomore attending high school in the Pacific Northwest. He writes for us about tech, the user experience and social media – and his ideas about making changes that match the lifestyle of today’s youth. If you have questions for Ty, please leave a comment below. When you walk into a… More Get Technology Off My Back: Teenage POV on the Need for Tech Integration
MZ at the helm, making talk radio happen! When KGO decided to crush it’s listeners by firing their talent and moving from talk to all news, I was devastated. Until the change, I didn’t realize how much the rhythms and sounds of the station were my queues for daily living. News on the hour helped… More My Debut on KSCO Radio! It was Thrilling!
We are thrilled to welcome a new client: Animoto! If you haven’t played with Animoto yet, we invite you to give it a try! We did this little capabilites video for Listen2Youth with the Animoto Plus product (which is rather affordable and my daughter Katie already has her eye on it to make her next… More New Client: Animoto Helps Us Promote Our Business
Um, no stopping in the red zone! Jeez. I am way too cool and too hip to be such a dud. I realized, while driving home from dropping off the kid at school, that there’s some insane super-ego voice in my head providing a constant narration of what everyone else is doing wrong. Don’t try… More Holy Crap! I’ve Turned into a Curmudgeon
Katie has never participated on a team sport. Yep. Totally true. She thought she might do soccer but on the free trial day, she was clobbered in the head and never went back. She kind of likes basketball but not enough to commit. Instead, she’s been a dancer and an artist. Now fast forward to… More An Open Letter to Team Sports Folks: Please Don’t Sacrifice the Virgins!
Patricia Heaton as Frankie Heck on ABC’s The Middle. I was extremely moved by the events in Arizona last weekend (and this week). I listened to President Obama’s speech, hanging on every word about the incredible people who died and those who survived the brutal attack. And I have been caught up in the national… More Out Here in The Middle: Changing America One Parent at a Time
I am talking pop-culture here. Those movies we have all seen that people reference in comedy routines. I am not worried about television right now (I know that’s another whole can of worms) but really looking for movies that kids should know about so they can relate to grown-ups! Post a comment here or tweet… More What Movies Should Every Kid See for “Cultural Intelligence”
Yeah, that’s a Menorah ANDa Christmas tree. We get around. Katie was groaning the other day about going to another holiday party. “I don’t hate the party mom, I hate all the dumb questions the adults ask me!” she lamented. I think I am one of those adults! It’s terrifying when you realize you have… More Five Things You Should NOT Ask the Kids This Holiday Season
The folks at KissMetrics write an excellent blog post on the 10 Elements of a Successful Social Media Profile. They make great points about consistency across profiles and authenticity in posting (like use a photo of yourself for your personal profiles, not an avatar or object). Creating a successful social media profile for your company is as… More KissMetrics Offers Great Tips for Creating Your Social Media Profile
Last year, Facebook was all the rage among the fifth grade crowd. Why? Farmville. No more no less – sending Mystery Gifts, planting crops and decorating the farm. Over time, Farmville got old (and they pretty much made it so complicated it’s no fun anymore anyway) and the kids got older. Yeah, I know, they… More Ahh Facebook: The Strange (Dangerous?) Case of Tweens Online
Katie’s home room teacher rocks. She not only teaching language arts, but she also brings in lots of life lessons – from drinking to college admissions to cutting. Yep, she brought it up in class and it was the first time Katie had ever heard of it. Turns out, there’s a cutter in her class.… More Relieving the Pain: When 11-Year Olds Start Cutting
Okay, so I need to say a bit more about grades. After my last blog about Katie’s addiction – which has been tempered, sorta – I find I am still stuck on the subject after watching a disaster in the making yesterday! I arrived at school a little early and decided to wait for Katie… More Report Cards Came Out Yesterday – Publicly. Do Students Have a Right to Privacy?
I was there the first time she used. I actually gave her access to her drug without realizing what I was doing. And it took just a few times to get her hooked. I was a complete enabler. This fall, my daughter became dangerously addicted to grades. If I hadn’t watched Race to Nowhere last… More My Daughter Became an Addict in Sixth Grade
The coolest thing happened yesterday. I didn’t expect it to be cool. I thought it was going to be a nightmare. But man, it turned out awesome. Imagine, it’s Monday: the day after Halloween (where we somehow picked up two extra kids along the way who ended up back at our house to watch the… More Students Helping Students: They Can Lift Each Other Up (Academically)