I just got back from the soccer field. Our international student Camy took the field with her team mates and came away with a big victory. I have had a chance to see a couple of games this season, and hope to be able to see at least a couple more. I feel really blessed to have a job that allows me rearrange my schedule to be able to attend Camy's game. It was a real blessing when Chris and Alejandra were younger. I was able to attend most of the dance recitals and football games and wrestling matches and parent teacher conferences.I wish every parent had the same flexibility in their professional life that I have been able to create in mine.
I know you know it is not about the win, or seeing a great sporting event, it is about being there for our kids. Just a few weeks ago Camy and I were strangers. Now, I think we have become good friends. That friendship was built on being there for each other, meals together as a family, taking our little doggie Auggie on walks together, being able to be human and imperfect in front of each other.
That time together came in handy last week when Camy wanted to attend "Life In Color" billed as "the World's Largest Paint Party". Loud music, lights, paint. Drugs, sexually aggressive teens, a young woman in a new country, drugs. Her parents in Italy gave her the ok to go, and I wanted her to be able to go. But I also wanted her to be safe. So we talked. And while it may have been a bit awkward at first I was able to communicate to her that I trusted her and respected her and was not so much worried about her but wanted to be aware of the dangers that she might encounter. And she was able to reassure me that she understood my concern and appreciated it and that she would be ok. And she was.
Holli Kenley is back with us to continue her ground breaking Another Way Wednesday Series. This is the series that helps you help your teens discover their own worth. One reason Camy is able to travel to another country is because her parents have done a great job helping her discover her worth, helping her understand what her values are, teaching her to make decisions based on those values. I don't know if your child will ever have the chance to travel abroad to study, but wouldn't it be great if we can let them do the fun things teens want to do secure in the knowledge that they value their lives, they know that they matter to us and to the world, secure in the knowledge that they will make great choices?
Click here to visit Holli's web site
Click here to check out all of our Another way Wednesday Episodes
Click here to find out all there is to know about my totally interactive school assembly program
Every parent wants their kids to be able to go to a school where they feel safe, included and successful. Every parent wants their kids to live in a world where everyone is treated with respect and dignity. Until that days becomes a reality, Glenn Stevens would like to empower your kid with simple, practical safety skills. Based in Queensland, Australia, Glenn is a martial arts expert. author, teacher and speaker. He is not looking to turn everyone into a karate chopping machine. He is committed to helping kids and adults feel empowered with knowledge and skills they can use to help them become more confident and less attractive to predators and bullies.
Click here to travel to Glenn's web site
Sarah Kervin is a multi talented singer - songwriter who hails from Atlanta. Now based in Brooklyn, she has used her jazz and classical training to tell heart felt stories with her music.She began playing fiddle with her dad at the age of four. Sarah's music has taken her around the World to perform at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China. In this episode of the ParentCast she shares her powerful, soulful song "The Least You Could Do." Proceeds from the sale of this single go to support the Joyful Heart Foundation.
Explore Sarah Kervin's music here
As always you can learn all about Jedlie's live school assembly program "We Choose Respect!!!" at www.wechooserespect.com
Dr Stephanie O'Leary wants to help you rediscover the joy of parenting. She is a down to earth therapist with a practice in Westchester, NY. She offers great, practical advice that will help strengthen your relationship with your kids. Our musical guest is American Idol Alum Trevor Hager
Click Here To Visit Dr Stephanie O'Leary's Web Site
This is the fifth in our ongoing discussion of Holli Kenley's brilliant novel "Another Way". In this series Holli reveals to teachers and parents how they can use the novel to start important discussions with their teens. The book is a great tool that can help kids discover their own worth and start to make decision based on their own values.
Pete and Ellen Howarth-Jarratt began their mission with the simple principle "to equip young people with the skills and outlook to succeed in life."
As successful educators and concerned parents they champion the view that every child has natural talents that will always flourish if given the opportunity. Working alongside business start ups to multi-nationals, schools to universities, Pete and Ellen understand that the 21st Century is bringing unique challenges for everyone. For young people that can adapt, innovate and believe in their own talents, a future of happiness and success awaits.
Since 2008 they have been fulfilling their quest by providing award winning creative projects to engage, challenge and inspire young people.
Also featured in this episode is singer - songwriter Jonas Woods. Jonas shares his brilliant work "Peace Like A River"
Bree Noble is the founder and visionary behind Women of Substnace radio, an exciting internet radio show and podcast that features talented female indie music artists. The show features music from all genres and has been downloaded over 100,000 times!!!
Our Another Way Wednesday Series continues with Holli Kenley. Another Way is a fantastic novel that follows high school friends Amanda and Chloe as they struggle to deal with issues every teen struggles with. The Another Way Wednesday series is a virtual in service training for parents, teachers and youth workers who are looking to help teens discover their own worth, identify the values that are most important to them and make decisions based on those values.
Our featured guest today on the ParentCast is Stephanie Osborn, intersteller woman of mystery. She is an author and the very first certified rocket scientist to appear on the parentcast. Our featured guest Stephanie Osborn heard a lot of people tell her what she couldn’t do, that her dreams of going into science were silly because she was a girl. She had the strength to ignore those folks and make her dreams come true because someone gave her support and hope and love. Our special musical guest is Susan Didrichsen sharing her song High on a Good Thing.
In this episode of the ParentCast Jared Stone, author of the new book “Year of the Cow” wanted to change the way he looked at the food he was eating. His transformation began by purchasing an entire cow, a 420 pound free range, grass fed steer, (“enough to fill a Prius”) to feed himself and his family for over a year. In this hilarious interview Jared tells us about some of his favorite, “chuck roastiust” recipes, a couple of meal mishaps, (oh boy did he mess up on Valentine’s Day), “the dish that tastes you back” and what he learned about food and himself from the experience.
And what he learned himself is fascinating. I was really blown away when Jarod explained how the experience motivated him to think about how he was going to “honor” the sacrifices made by others that went into each meal. You are going to love meeting Jared Stone.And you are going to love today’s musical guest Rocquette and their song “By The Time You Get Married.” As their press kits tells us Rocquette is a “female fronted, kick ass rock band” based in Austria. (I told you the ParentCast is worldwide!!!) You are going to love their sound.
We Want our kids to be safe, but we can not baby them forever. We have to learn how to give them the freedom to fail. We don't want them to fail, but we have to allow them to make choices. Hopefully with our guidance they will learn how to make the right choices. Holli Kenley joins us for our on going look into her novel Another Way. This is a wondeful book for teens and parents to experience together. In this episode we talk about how we can help our kids feel like they matter. Probably one of the most important tasks we face as parents.
I feel so very lucky to have been able to bring a smile to millions of faces through my interactive motivational magic shows. Every smile is special and precious. I can't say I remeber every single smile, but there are some smiles and some situations I will never forget.
One of those occasions happened in a Massachusetts playground one hot, Summer day. A small town south of Boston invited me to be a part of the Summer Concert Series. I couldn't help but notice three very distinct groups attending the show. A group from a Christian Camp, a second group from a Hasidic Jewish camp and a third group of kids from a Muslim camp. All of the kids and parents loved the magic, and many came up to the stage for pictures at the end of the show. The kids from the three camps also came up to ask question. The Rabbi who brought the Hasidic kids asked if I could teach his kids how to do a magic trick. I immediately knew I was just handed a chance to teach much more than magic.
I brought one of the kids up to perform a classic "find the four kings" trick. Basically I ask the volunteer to cut the deck and the deal out four piles of cards. Even though the cards are never in my control the volunteer is able to find she had dealt the kings to the top of each pile. I often use this trick in my church shows to remind kids that no matter what is going on in their ives they can always find their king, their God, there to help them.
In addition to teaching them the simple way to perform the trick I used this as an opportunity to teach them that even though they all looked different from each other, even though they had different faiths, and even though they refered to their God by different names, they all in fact believed in the same God.
I was a bit hesitant to invite Jodel Onstott, author of "YWH Exists", on to the show. The We Choose Respect ParentCast is for everyone, I don't ever want someone to feel excluded. The more I learned about Jodel and her research, and the more I thought about that wonderful day in the Park, the more I wanted to speak to Jodel. The Old Testament of the Bible is one of the most influencial documents ever written. I is honored by all three major monotheistic religions. Jodel has done over 15 years of extensive research into the Old Testament. I think you will find her work fascinating.
This epsiode also features a special report by our good friend Azlin Bloor. Lin is on an around the World adventure with her family. She will be reporting from many of the ports of call her family will find themselves in. She begins her adventure in Kuala Lumpur to celebrate the wedding of her neice.
We close our show with our special musica guest the Crazy Daysies and their song "Where The Dirt Runs Out Of Road" I think you are going to love these rocking ladies from Jacksonville, FL.
Click here for the Crazy Daysies home page
Click here for Lin's Food home page
Click here to learn about my interactive motivational magic shows
So, when it is time to take your little doggie out for a walk, who is walking who? That is a question Sharon Bolt, the founder of Good Dogs, likes to ask. Having a dog can be so wonderful. But it takes a lot of work and patience to help train our dogs to be the most wonderful pet they can be. Sharon is known all over the world as one of the top dog trainers. She is a regular contributor to the BBC. In this interview she shares wonderful tips with us that will help us be the one walking our dog.
Another Way is a brilliant novel that helps parents and teens build stronger relationships and talk about behaviors that can have live changing coincidences. In this episode Holli talks to us about how we can ask our teens to share some of their thoughts about why teens may engage in different behaviors. Holli reminds us that this is not an opportunity for us to make jusgements, rather it is a way to start an ongoing conversation with their teens.