For Parents of Children w/Disability and Chronic Illness
Coaching, support, guidance, and a listening ear
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A few months ago I had the pleasure of meeting the dynamic John Styn at SXSW Interactive. I was fascinated by John’s Hug Nation. Schools across the country are banning all physical contact between students – including hugs. I find that teenagers need hugs – they need physical contact. In fact, we all need hugs, …
Last night I finally went to see Zack and Miri Make a Porno. I’ve been wanting to see this movie since I caught the tail end of it at the Austin premier through an odd sequence of events. The end was hysterical! I couldn’t wait. Well, last night was the first obvious opportunity to present …
World, meet my new computer. New computer, meet the world. Two things that should never, ever be allowed to mix? Rust and the inside of my computer. Today I’ve been thinking about the good parts of sex (physical pleasure, a deepening relationship with someone, babies, fun, and more). I’ve also been thinking about the bad …
Dove Commercial Dear Dove, This commercial sucks. I know you think you’re all cool and whatever because you’re supposed to be standing up for girls, but you’ve missed the boat here by a wide margin. In fact, rather than supporting girls’ movement towards “Real Beauty,” you’ve gone in the exact opposite direction. And what makes …
I was delighted to read this article in such a “popular” magazine as Time: Where the ‘Ladyboys’ Are Monday, July 7th, 2008 By Hannah Beech Life can be complicated enough for members of the transgender community — the last thing they need is to hesitate between two bathroom doors: Male or female. Luckily for students …
Unlike Phoebe’s Smelly Cat, the Skinny Cat goes beyond noxious and strays into the problematic. This weekend we were hanging out with my daughter’s 6-year-old friend, who we’ll call Jane because that’s shorter and faster to type than her actual name. We’re close to Jane’s whole family, and always have a lovely time together. This …
ABC Family (that would not be your standard-fare ABC, this is a cable channel) has a new show whose “WORLD PREMIER” (oh, please) is tonight: The Secret Life of the American Teenager. It’s about a high school student who gets pregnant. My initial thoughts: Oh, please. Yes, Juno made a lot of money. But that …
MTV has a new initiative to reduce HIV transmission. A worthy cause to support an interesting initiative. Anyone can call Stand By What You Say and record a short message. A nifty little software called SpinVox turns your message into text, which is then posted on the homepage. Everyone who contributes is asked to give …
I have been thinking a lot about virginity recently. A sex ed teacher recently asked me how I would respond to a 6th grade girl who asked for the definition of “virgin.” Does “virgin” apply to those who have done a wide range of sexual activities, but have not engaged in penile-vaginal intercourse? Or can …
Sex ed by text message. Of course it happened first in San Francisco, where they’re serious about getting sex education messages out, in any medium possible. The moral of this story is: Want to talk to your teenager? Do it in the medium she or he uses most. For many teenagers that’s text message. But …