Archive for October 2012

Aren’t you a little short for a Stormtrooper? Star Wars fans worldwide join to build a Halloween costume for one lucky little girl.

Aren’t you a little short for a Stormtrooper? Star Wars fans worldwide join to build a Halloween costume for one lucky little girl.
In November of 2010, the international community of Star Wars fans rallied to defend my first-grade daughter Katie, who was being taunted by the boys at school because she was a girl who loved Star Wars, which was apparently “only for boys.” The support was instant and effusive, and Katie quickly regained her confidence as... Read more »
By Carrie Goldman,
October 29, 2012 at 9:28 pm • 

We Do Not Live in a Post-Racial Society. Start a Courageous Conversation.

We do not live in a post-racial society.  Ask your elementary school kids. Sometimes I read news articles or blog posts that refer to America as becoming a post-racial society.  I couldn’t disagree more.  Yes, we elected a black man as our president four years ago, but that does not mean we live in a... Read more »
By Carrie Goldman,
October 26, 2012 at 10:27 am • 

"There are Rebellions in Arizona."

"There are Rebellions in Arizona."
I took my third-grade daughter with me to Arizona over the weekend.  As we were driving from the airport to the hotel, Katie noticed something we don’t see that much of in Chicago– there were a good number of Romney signs stuck in the front lawns.  She asked me about the Romney signs, and I... Read more »
By Carrie Goldman,
October 21, 2012 at 10:58 am • 
Advertisement:

The Amanda Todd Tragedy: Steps to Take to Prevent Cyberbullying and to Manage It After Occurrence

Last Wednesday, 15-yr-old Amanda Todd, a Canadian girl, took her own life in a bullycide that has caused angst and grief around the world.  Just five weeks earlier, Todd had uploaded a 9-minute long YouTube message, in which she detailed the persistent problems with anxiety, cutting, and drugs that have overwhelmed her ever since she... Read more »
By Carrie Goldman,
October 15, 2012 at 7:39 am • 

Halloween and the Adopted Child: A Costume is More than It Appears

Halloween and the Adopted Child: A Costume is More than It Appears
There is a curious pattern to almost all of the characters that my daughter Katie has chosen for her Halloween costumes. At age three, she wanted to be Superman.  At age four, she dressed up as Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter series.  At age five, she was Hermione again. At age six, she paraded... Read more »
By Carrie Goldman,
October 12, 2012 at 12:30 pm • 

Names Can Really Hurt Us Program Brings Bullying Into the Light

A tall fashionably-dressed teen ducked into line at the open mike, waiting for her turn to speak.   When the group leader nodded to her to begin, the girl tried to talk but dissolved into sobs.  The room remained silent, the other freshman waiting until the weeping girl could get her words out.  She cried openly... Read more »
By Carrie Goldman,
October 4, 2012 at 11:19 am • 
Advertisement:

Jennifer Livingston: How Her Story Fits Into the Bullying Continuum

In the past 24 hours, the story of the “fat-shamed local news anchor” has gone viral.  Jennifer Livingston received a letter from a viewer criticizing her weight, and her passionate response has caught the attention of the nation. Whereas many thousands of people are cheering Livingston on, there are thousands of others who have questioned... Read more »
By Carrie Goldman,
October 3, 2012 at 1:05 pm •