Some Cyber-Bullying Truths

It's been a long time since I've posted something here. I'm a traditionalist, I still hate tumblr. I don't even know how to use the the thing. I'm just got off a cold and a side of respiratory infection that left me feeling like I jumped from a 10 meter high dive, and completly missed the pool but I'm sure my toes were pointed nice and pretty. I've decided today I'm going to tackle some aspects of cyber-bullying.  I've got some experience in the field, I was getting cyber-bullied before it was popular enough to have a house hold name. Anybody remember MSN Groups?.....yeah didn't think so.

Cyber-Bullying has become something of a modern day staple, thanks in large part to social sites like facebook and twitter. Young people and even immature adults have even more time to cyber-bully because a high-speed internet connection is in your back pocket. So what are some things, You can do if you're being cyber-bullied and also would like to avoid cyber-bullying? Here are some of the things, I would do today or did in the past.

1. If you're being cyber-bullied there is a large likelihood, that somebody from your school or work is par-taking in or may even be at the epicentre.  Print off a copy of the insults, slurs and threats that you're receiving, then take them and talk to your principle or boss. They have the authority especially in a school, to bring in IT to peak around it's network and see if they can flag matches on student/ employee log-ins to the stuff you've received. 

2. If you're being cyber-bullied, sometimes it's due to your own negligence. Take a look at your own online history as well as how you've been treating people in the real world. If you've found some indiscretions find that person(s) online or in person and issue an apology and that may well be all it takes to end your brush with being cyber-bullied.

3. Take ownership of your online content. The things you post can open you up for an attack, especially regarding the images you share. Ask yourself " Can I send this to Grandma?" if you answer NO, don't email it, text it or send it out.

4. Don't Sext or have Skype Sex( Is that even a thing?), Just avoid it. Because often this is how those slut rumours really heat up online. Unless you have some kind of odd twist to your marriage, this isn't an activity you should be indulging in.

5. If your a parent, it truly is your responsibility to check what your young people are doing online or with their phones. Even if they're fabulous kids, sometimes kids slip and you don't want them stuck.  So check your kids histories once or twice a month.  Take time to talk to them about cyber-bullying and educate yourself about it.

6.  Have thick skin, and remember " Those Who Mind Don't Matter, and those Who Don't Mind Matter". Never let the insecure delusions or bullying in your daily life and online...break your spirit. Because you'll always be better than that.

These are just some of the things, I recommend doing regarding cyber-bullying.

-H

8 Steps to Getting Better Grades At School ( Grades are Important)

I realize something, the main focus of my blog is Bullying but the truth is, I would like my blog to be something of a survival guide for the ultimately crazy school kid soup. Granted wayward parents and generally adults will frequent my blog maybe to understand their kids, maybe they're teachers or just find answers to their own life's challenges whatever the case. I want to make my blog inclusive. One thing school kids always worry about are grades, the one's who don't, probably should.


1.  Make schedule and stick to it. Set a block of time each day for homework, chores and bedtime. Scheduling your time, ultimately helps you save time and also conditions your brain to crave sleep at a consistent hour so your rested for each school day. You also train yourself to do homework during a block of time and it becomes easier to not only focus on work but remember to do it.

2. Eat balanced meals and healthy snacks, your brain needs food in order to thrive. Eating healthy keeps your energy stores high and makes it easier to concentrate in class. A diet rich in junk food and fries from your cafeteria helps your brain wander and lose focus easily and your energy starts waning sooner.

3. ASK FOR HELP, this is a big one. Don't be afraid to ask a teacher to repeat an example. Don't be afraid to ask a teacher for help finding a tutor if you need the extra help. I made the mistake of not doing this in high school and paid the consequences. It wasn't pretty.

4. Read more BOOKS,  reading is essential to life's success and it's one of the few things that effect every facet of your education and work world post school.  Read a good book, get lost in the adventure or the history or the life of a person. Paint pictures with your mind. Reading works more of your brain than texting, tweeting or the TV ever will.

5. Be active, put down your phones, laptops, DS's and all that technology and go play outside, ride a bike, go to the gym just get out there. Burning off excess energy helps you to concentrate and also makes you a far healthier individual and it's often easier to learn when your body feels healthy and good.

6. Have a study space! Having a place designated for studying and doing homework really helps.

Room By Aaron Christiensen 

Working at the kitchen table is find in 2nd grade but as you get older it's not a great solution.  You should have all the things you need to accomplish school work organized in your study area to avoid running around looking for that Pen, Ruler and so forth. If you don't have your own study space in the house, talk to your parents about putting a desk in your room.














7. Use your agenda, most schools even colleges provide students with an agenda or planner. It contains the usual school rule book, calendar of events/ holidays ect...but come on do we really use it? NOPE...but we should. I didn't start using mine until college and it was night and day. Use your agenda to write down assignment due dates, assignment reminders and what your homework is that night. This ensures you don't forget to do something at night and the less homework you don't do, the more points that get recorded into your over all grade.

8. Just take a break, don't forget to take a break while studying and doing homework. It gives your brain a chance to relax and de-stress.

If you have the ability leave a comment, let me know what ideas you have for future blog posts. If you can't comment...your welcome to comment to me on twitter.

I hope this Helps...
H

Don't Judge a Book By it's Cover

As a society, we place so much emphasis on how a person should look. Whats hot and whats not. We've been programmed this why by our father's before us, as they were by theirs. But I have come to the conclusion that it shouldn't matter how I look or anyone does for that matter.

I see it all the time, beautiful people who are turned away or left out of things, because they don't look right. What are we teaching our children? to be judgemental, to judge merit on other men by the clothes on their backs?  However the first thing we ever tell a child is " Don't Judge A Book By It's Cover", It's something every child learns, while growing up in a world that teaches them other wise.

It's high time we collectively started looking beyond the cover when it comes to people in ours lives or those we've yet to meet. Maybe a girl prefers to wear boys pants, maybe because they're more durable than girls and she just likes them.  Maybe a boy would rather a shirt that says " Mommy's Little Shopper" because he likes to go shopping with mommy more than playing in the sand box. But then these two amazing little children are shunned because society taught us they shouldn't wear those clothes or look that way. That only continues on and now those kids aren't just being left out at recess but shut out of jobs....because they don't look right.

It makes you wonder about where the world would be if we spent more time judging the content of one's character on not their covers. Maybe the world economy would be different because the people who could do the jobs best weren't turned away because she was a women who rocked a man's suit and short hair, Because He was a man who had long hair and wore light pastels and tight pants. Maybe the very high schools we send out children too, would be safer with less bullying because it was ok to dress and look different from the crowd.

I'm a handsome Women, and I can Do IT

I'm A Beautiful Man, I can Do it Too

Next time you see somebody who walks their own path in the looks department. Don't just judge, say HI and spend sometime reading whats between those covers. You just might make a new friend.

A little more Food for Thought.
-H

How to be a Hallway Hero ( Step up to Bullying)

It's still the start of school, you've all still have nine months to go. That seems like forever, just wait until your 20s kid. Nine months...seems like nine days, what you wouldn't give to be back in the class room. Still there are nine months left to start being somebody's hero.

If you notice a kid being bullied, don't shy away from them, be a friend. Ask them to play or about their favourite music. Let them know that even though somebody or a lot of somebodies are being jerks, You'll always be their friend. Stuff like that, it means so much to a kid that feels friendless.

Teachers can't be everywhere and they certainly can't see everything. Sure it's fun to get away with things, like chewing bubble gum in class, sneaking a bit of your snack from your lunch. But bullying isn't one of those fun things a teacher can miss. If you see a student being bullied, find a teacher and tell them. A teacher can't help, when they don't know whats happening. If you don't want to be seen by other students, catch the teacher during recess or just after school.

Maybe you know bullying is happening, but you've never really seen a student doing it in order to tell a teacher. Don't worry thats O.K because there are still things you can do to help. Make a poster about why bullying isn't nice, and how being nice = being cool. Ask your school's principal if it can be put on the school's bulletin board, who knows maybe the principal will turn your small idea into a school wide project.

If your a parent concerned about bullying, be a hero, be active. Get together with other parents from the school in perhaps a PTA setting and brainstorm on school activities that would force your children to get to know other children through fun activities. Activities that would enforce the values of being kind  and not being a bully. This helps in so many ways. Also be mindful of how you act at home, if junior always hears you gossiping and complaining and saying mean stuff about people in your life, they may thing it's ok to do the same thing to their school peers, especially when your kids don't have the contextual knowledge behind some of these actions that you do.

Remember to be a Hallway Hero.
-H

Being the New Kid, Declassified.

Image from RolePlay Republic

Hey, Howdy and Whats Up? Besides the sky, unless you're doing a handstand! Because obviously, the sky would be down then.  Enough of my nonsensical ramblings. I'm pretty sure I started this blog with a very good point in mind, oh right being the new kid.

Being the new kid, can be a good thing and other times it can be kind of scary. It's always a new start. Maybe you've moved to a new town, changed schools or maybe you're just growing up and moving up to the big leagues, 9th grade.  I was the new kid three times before eighth grade, again in 9th and all over again in college. I learned a few things along the way, sometimes later rather than sooner.

If you're worried about locating your classes or other things in the school, just ask your principal or the secretary for map. If you happen to be going to a large school, they should be able to print you a copy and then you can highlight where you need to be. As much fun as it is to miss a chunk of class while you still have the excuse of getting lost, not being able to find the bathroom while everyone is still in class, sucks.

There is something about lunch hour, for a lot of kids it's intimidating. Lunch is viewed like a poster for the schools pecking order. I have secret for you, it's all rubbish. If you don't know where to sit, you can always introduce yourself to any table and ask if you may have a seat. Sometimes that might be just a little to much for a person on their first tour of duty at a new school. You can always look for another person who is alone and introduce yourself, you don't know you might just have found your first new friend.

Sometimes making friends isn't always the easiest or most natural thing for some of us, I was a textbook case of having trouble making new friends. What I found was, I had an easier time, when their was already a common interest in place. Make sure to check out your schools clubs or sports teams. This is a great way to make friends, because you already have something to talk about. If you notice your school doesn't have a club that fits your interests, talk to your schools administration about possibly starting one if a teacher is willing to be on duty for it.

Most of all, just be confident and own your stuff.  It might take a while to settle in, but grin and bare because it will get better.

-H
If you have any advice for new kids, leave a comment in the comment section. If you have any ideas for future topics leave it in the comments.