As a social media specialist during the day (and into many evenings), I often get asked if I’m going to let my daughter go on social media when she’s older. To be honest, I don’t think there’s any avoiding it. From the easily moderate-able Facebook, to ‘dark social’ like Whatsapp and Kik, there are new challenges facing parents when keeping their kids safe online. The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) actually prohibits children under 13 using social media, but this is often ignored by curious young minds with computer time.
Despite an increase in male dancers in the media and popular television, boys who choose dance as a favorite activity are still subject to difficult questions and derogatory names.
Dance in all of its forms is often marketed as “for girls” when it comes time for parents to choose an extra-curricular for their kids, so boys who are interested in it can face bullying or barriers to participation from both children and adults. This can be extremely isolating and result in decreased self-confidence.
On top of their typical school curriculum learning, many students with learning disabilities may also be involved in remedial instruction (e.g., tutoring to build reading strategies). Despite the time and effort the children put in during their time with teachers and other professionals, they still require additional support from parents to consolidate the learning of information for later retrieval. Like a muscle in our bodies, memory needs to be continually exercised to ensure it stays in good shape.
“If I was a better parent, my kids wouldn’t argue so much!”
Wrong.
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