Bullying

Tweet Tweet!… We are thrilled to announce that we are throwing our second Twitter party! We are dedicating our entire party to cyberbullying because it was such a major problem during the Olympics. With kids going back to school, we want to ensure child safety and offer tips to parents. Our hosts, Tim and Steve Woda are Internet and mobile safety experts and will be available to answer your questions. We will be giving away 4 three-month subscriptions to uKnowKids to those who actively participate throughout the party. In addition…

The two participants who refer the most friends will receive:

First Prize: $75 Target Gift Card

Second Prize: $50 Target Gift Card

@Who,What, When and #Where?

Who: Hosted by @timwoda and @stevewoda. Tim is an Internet and mobile safety expert and was recently a guest on two daytime talk shows and Steve is the CEO of uKnow.com and an Internet safety expert.
What: A Twitter party dedicated to cyberbullying! Due to the number of athletes that were cyberbullied during the Olympics we want to educate parents on how to keep kids safe this school year.
When: Thursday, August 23 at 3PM EST(1 hour only)
Where: Just follow the hashtag #uknowkids
RSVP: To be eligible for prizes during the party, or for the referral prizes, you must RSVP to the Cyberbullying Twitter Party. {You can mention that Meagan from Sunshine and Sippy Cups sent you if you’d like!}

I was bullied terribly as a little girl… We moved to a new “better” neighborhood the summer before I entered 5th grade. I had loved my old school – I was class president in 3rd and 4th grade {seems funny now to think of having officers at such a young age – but it taught us SO much.} I had great friends. Loved my teachers and all of the school staff. But at my new school, the kids didn’t like that I wore dresses. They thought I was totally not cool because I wouldn’t say cuss words like they did. I liked to sit under a tree and draw during recess, instead of playing sports. That was 3 strikes too many, and I was branded the outcast. They would follow me as I walked the two blocks home each afternoon, calling me names and throwing rocks at me. I cried every.single.day. So – I know first hand the damage that bullies can do. I can only imagine how much worse it must be for kids these days, with technologies like smart phones and iPads, and sites like Facebook and Twitter that can spread rumors like wildfire

What can you do about bullying?

We all have a responsibility to stop bullying. It might mean taking steps to prevent it from happening to your own child – such as teaching them how to respond to bullies, or educating school staff on stopping it. Or it might be recognizing that your own child is a bully, even if that’s super hard to admit. Then learning how to teach your child compassion and empathy for others. It might mean owning up to your own bad behavior – the gossip that the kids hear you spreading when you have lunch dates with a girl friend, or the negative way that you and your husband speak to each other during disagreements. The more that we all ensure every child grows up feeling cared about, respected, and valued – the more we can help prevent some of the tragedies that occur far too often, like school shootings or other violence committed by angry kids. Joining this great Twitter party will help you learn new tips and skills, and about other resources to help you end bullying in your community too.