Power Struggles: Eliminate Them

No matter what your age, from the ‘terrible two’s to the stressful forties’ (often referred to as a mid-life crises) everyone desires to be treated as competent and capable, recognized for their strengths and good intentions, rather than shortcomings, foibles and mistakes. Everyone values his/her thoughts, feelings and needs to be respected and included in the decision making process for the issues that directly involve and impact them. In short, everyone values autonomy and wants to express him/herself and be in command of his/her life.

The ‘terrible two’s’ label was coined because a child begins

ACTION ALERT – Help Protect Children From Physical Abuse

ACTION ALERT

Call or email these Reps today and ask them to vote for Rep. Alma Allen’s HB 359 which will be voted on Friday, May 6 on the House floor.

HB 359 will abolish corporal punishment in Texas schools but allow parents to opt-in for their children. It is a big step forward for Texas and will virtually eliminate school padding.

Guest Blog: Violence Does Not Teach

On Facebook, a lengthy exchange of written posts and ripostes by some of my Deming neighbors on HB 172 actually roused one person to cheer the armed policemen who recently used pepper spray on an eight year old in a Colorado classroom. “Kudos!” she wrote. “That kid will think twice next time.”

It is remarkable to witness such enthusiasm for police violence, appropriate or not, even when the subject is a child, with no equivalent enthusiasm for social workers and counselors who heal children’s hearts with listening and compassion. Children are not our enemies, but our deepest and most sacred responsibility.

Guest Blog: Lufkin ISD Reacts to Paddling Incident at Brookhollow Elementary

Last week, a Brookhollow Elementary mom reported that she was furious since her son had been spanked twice by the principal. She says the school did not have her consent to use corporal punishment on the fifth grader. In response, LISD’s Superintendent Roy Knight is not making any apologies.