Archive for October 2011

New Girl Scouts Campaign Challenges Girls to Redefine Reality

Girls who regularly watch reality TV accept and expect a higher level of drama, aggression, and bullying in their own lives; they are more likely to believe that being mean and lying will earn you success.  Furthermore, they place higher value on their physical appearance than non-viewers. These are the alarming but unsurprising findings from... Read more »
By Carrie Goldman,
October 24, 2011 at 12:24 pm • 

Call for submissions for Adoption Stories

Call for submissions for Adoption Stories
November is National Adoption Month, and Portrait of an Adoption plans to honor all parties involved in adoption by featuring guest posts throughout the month. I have already received some heartfelt, honest entries from people who play all different roles in adoption: birthparents, adoptees, adoptive parents, foster parents, and waiting adoptive parents.  To my delight,... Read more »
By Carrie Goldman,
October 19, 2011 at 12:15 pm • 

Guest Post by Former Bullying Victim Teppi Jacobsen

Guest Post by Former Bullying Victim Teppi Jacobsen
By Teppi Jacobsen of When You Put It That Way October is National Bullying Awareness month, and as a victim of it as a child, I am more than aware.  Much more than I want to be, as it nearly ruined my childhood.  A childhood that had hoped to have been filled with lots of... Read more »
By Carrie Goldman,
October 18, 2011 at 2:30 pm • 
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When Mommy and Daddy Are Mean Online

When Mommy and Daddy Are Mean Online
When Mommy and Daddy are Mean Online As parents hear more and more about the tragic consequences of cyberbullying, we wring our hands and wonder, how can we get the kids to stop beating each other up online? Maybe we should first ask how we can get ourselves to stop attacking others online.  Bullying is... Read more »
By Carrie Goldman,
October 17, 2011 at 12:22 pm • 

Do you use either of these phrases? Think before you speak.

October is Bullying Prevention Month, and it can’t happen soon enough, given the recent bullying-related suicides in our country.  Most people are not bullies, but even the kindest among us can inadvertently hurt others. Bullying is directly tied to cultural attitudes about what is acceptable and what is not.  There are a number of words... Read more »
By Carrie Goldman,
October 13, 2011 at 2:50 pm • 

You Have To Hand it to the Geeks

You have to hand it to the Geeks.  They know how to have a rocking good time. K and I just returned from Seattle, where we attended the first-ever GeekGirlCon.  In case anyone doubts the need for a con devoted solely to the female population, consider the fact that the con was sold out and... Read more »
By Carrie Goldman,
October 10, 2011 at 11:54 am • 
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Pink Is Not the Enemy. Stereotypes Are.

There is a growing faction within the girl-empowerment movement that expresses disdain and scorn for all things pink and princess.  Supporters of young girls are increasingly pitting rough and tumble tomboys against tutu-wearing, glitz-loving girly girls. Why can’t girls be both? Pink is not the enemy.  Labels are. To understand how pink has evolved into... Read more »
By Carrie Goldman,
October 3, 2011 at 4:23 pm •