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All Praise Is Not Created Equal: The Do's and Don't's of Praising Your Child

In 2003, Dr. Roy Baumeister, contracted by the Association for Psychological Science, review 200 self-esteem research studies concluding that there was no real correlation between having high self-esteem and increased academic or career performance, nor did it impact alcohol usage or one’s tendencies to be violent. In fact, further research indicated that when college students were doing poorly in a course, esteem-building praise resulted in causing their grades to decline even further.

Be Specific

However, this data does not suggest that all praise is unhealthy or detrimental to children’s success because a great majority of literature shows that praise can be an effective, positive, and motivating force. Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman, co-authors of the book NurtureShock: New Thinking About Children, find that “the effects of praise can vary significantly, depending on the praise given. To be effective, researchers have found, praise needs to be specific.” Hence, making sweeping statements of praise such as “You are so smart” or “You are so musically talented” do little to increase your child’s drive or success. Instead, Bronson and Merryman suggest that praise be doled out for specific incidents of achievement, “You really did amazing on your algebra test” or “I was impressed at how well you dribbled the ball towards the goal, practice is certainly paying off.” Your child will feel as if he or she is understood and valued as an individual with certain strengths and abilities, while developing a sense of accomplishment and pride in those particular aspects of their self.

Mean It

Your children have spent their lifetime studying your behaviors, speech patterns, facial expressions and values, don’t fool yourself into believing that your children can’t ‘hear’ or ‘see’ your true intentions (...continue reading...)

2-Year-Old Left at McDonald’s Overnight: Should parents be charged with neglect?

For the past day, amidst news reports and blogs covering Governor Walker’s Budget Bill and the Madison protests, one particular story seems to have captivated its audiences and caused a number of heated debates. The story: A 2-year-old forgotten overnight at Milwaukee area McDonald’s. According to Jennifer Tomazic of CBS58 News:

"Milwaukee Police say at least 10 kids and adults were dining at the McDonald's at Potter and Kinnikinnick Sunday afternoon and the toddler was apparently left there.
When the family got home, police say all the kids scattered and went to bed an no one noticed the little girl wasn't there.
It wasn't until Monday morning when the 2-year-old's aunt saw her picture on television that she alerted the girl's mother that she was missing."

As of this morning, the child remains in custody of the Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare as workers investigate her parents and the circumstances surrounding this incident.

The Debate: Are the parents guilty of neglect? With strong opinions on both sides, respondents have expressed their recommendations for the future of the 2-year-old girl. Ranging from an immediate termination of parental rights to more empathetic responses excusing the parent’s oversight.

A quick Internet search will surely uncover a plethora of cases in which parents were charged with neglect after leaving their toddlers unattended or alone for a period of time. However, a notable difference is, that the majority of those toddlers were either left intentionally or those incidents tragically ended in the child’s death. Clearly those factors differ greatly from this particular case, as it would appear that the child was allegedly left by mistake, there are no prior indications of abuse, and the child was not harmed as result of her parent’s carelessness.

A Review of Negligence Law. According to Federal law, negligence of a child is defined as a failure to use ordinary care either by act or omission, or failing to exercise the amount of care that a reasonably

Continue reading: 2-Year-Old Left at McDonald’s Overnight: Should parents be charged with neglect? - Milwaukee Domestic Violence & Abuse | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/domestic-violence-abuse-in-milwaukee/2-year-old-left-at-mcdonald-s-overnight-should-parents-be-charged-with-neglect#ixzz1G6nqPckY

International Women's Day: Celebrating Womankind for 100 Years

Press Release: International Women's Day

2011 International Women's Day Theme:

Equal access to education, training and science and technology: Pathway to decent work for women

The first International Women’s Day events were run in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland in 1911 and attended by over one million people. 100 years on, International Women’s Day (IWD) has become a global mainstream phenomena celebrated across many countries and is an official holiday in approximately 25 countries including Afghanistan, Russia, Ukraine, Vietnam and Zambia.

Every year, we see extensive global women’s activity on March 8th. This year, performer and social activist, Annie Lennox, will lead a mass march across London’s Millennium Bridge for charity. In Washington D.C. over a thousand people will descend on Capitol Hill demanding a better world for millions of marginalized women and girls around the globe. A major international businesswomen’s conference will be hosted in Sydney, Australia. Schools and governments around the world

Continue reading: International Women's Day: Celebrating Womankind for 100 Years - Milwaukee Domestic Violence & Abuse | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/domestic-violence-abuse-in-milwaukee/international-women-s-day-celebrating-womankind-for-100-years#ixzz1G6mzKIoh

Sheboygan man charged with stalking: No longer just a crime of the famous

Steven J. David, a 53-year-old Walworth man, was arrested in Sheboygan County today, for allegedy stalking his ex-girlfriend over a period of 2 years. If convicted of felony stalking, David could face up to 18 months in prison (Sheboygan Press, 2011).

According to the criminal complaint:

The complainent, a 36-year-old Sheboygan County woman, informed police that she had worked for David in 2007. In 2008, the two began dating; in February, 2009 the two began to have problems according to the woman. Apparently David felt that she wasn’t spending enough time with him and therefore began showing up unexpectedly. Allegedly, David’s unwanted appearances even prompted the woman’s college to ban him from the campus.

In April 2009, the woman states that she attempted to end the relationship with David and in June 2009 sent a certified letter requesting that he have no further contact with her or her family; and when he continued to persue her, she obtained a temporary restraining order in August 2009. However David did not respect her requests and in the months followed showed up at her work; followed her numerous times; informed her that he had a private investigator following her; drove past her home repeatedly; and filed a civil lawsuit against her, claiming that she owed him money.

What is Stalking?

While many are familiar with the term “stalking,” this intrusive behavior was not considered criminal until the 1990’s. Passed initially in the state of California, this crime was associated most often with obsessed fans that would follow and harass the famous movie stars. Today, it has been reported that 1 in 12 women, and 1 in 45 men, find themselves victims of a stalker.

According to Petrocelli (2007), “like many other crimes

Continue reading: Sheboygan man charged with stalking: No longer just a crime of the famous - Milwaukee Domestic Violence & Abuse | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/domestic-violence-abuse-in-milwaukee/shaboygan-man-charged-with-stalking-the-unknown-crime#ixzz1G6lKF0KF