Spring Fever

It's that time of year...Spring! I love Spring Time. The weather gets warmer, it's daylight longer, and I have more energy. Plus, I know that Summer is coming soon!

Along with all of those great feelings, I also start to get a touch of Spring Fever. All I want to do is relax, read good books and have fun. I often feel tired even after I've slept all night.

Here's a few definitions I found online for Spring Fever - yes, it's real!

A feeling of invigoration and restlessness associated with the arrival of the warm weather and renewal of nature in the spring season.

A feeling of laziness or listlessness associated with the arrival of the warm, comfortable weather of the spring season.  

So, how can we cure this Spring Fever?

1. Clean/organize - Use this extra energy to clean out your closet or desk.
2. Home Improvement Project - Go to the hardware store or shop online for ideas to spruce up things around your house.
3. Take a trip - Even if it is just a day trip, get out and enjoy the beautiful weather.
4. Go outside! Get out and enjoy the sun - it's an excellent source of Vitamin D !
5. Start an Exercise Routine - walk, run, bicycle, yoga, Zumba, pilates - all excellent ways to be active
6. Be sure you are getting enough rest.
7. Diet - Eat healthy foods that boost your energy. Avoid lots of excess sugar and caffeine.


Remember that it's not your fault. Be kind and gentle with yourself. Give yourself plenty of time to adjust.

Facebook new feature

Facebook adding Suicide Intervention

I just read this morning that Facebook is adding a new feature to help intervene in possible suicidal comments. You will be able to report to Facebook posts that you believe may put someone at risk for suicide. So many times we see negative things posted and never know what to do about it. Here's your chance to help a friend!

Instagram - Keeping your kids safe online - part 4

Instagram

#selfie

I admit it...I love Instagram. I read this article today on Yahoo! about Instagram and teens. Just like any other social media site, the main thing is to monitor your kids for their safety. Teenagers often do not realize the impact a simple picture can have on their lives.

My favorite part of this article was this quote: "Teens think they're invincible, but they have to remember - once something is up online, it's there forever." This is so true and absolutely vital to remember. Even if it "goes away" like Snapchat claims or you delete it from your Instagram feed, it is always retrievable and it has already been seen and probably screen shot by somebody!

Read the article at:
https://www.yahoo.com/parenting/the-problem-with-teens-and-instagram-109530386647.html

Scroll...Select...Delete

I heard the best thing this past weekend. I loved it so much, I am making it one of my new motto's: Scroll...Select...Delete. 

Friendships and relationships are important. Being kind and nice is also important. However, there are times when it is necessary to stop being in a relationship or to stop being friends. 

You have another option. It's called, scroll...select...delete. 

I would add to that the options of unfriend and block. 

We all have people in our lives who get to be too much for us to handle. That's okay. You don't have to be friends with everyone. It doesn't mean you have to be rude or mean to those people. It simply means that you should just stop hanging around them. Stop talking with them. Stop Facebook stalking them. Stop responding to their texts and messages. Delete them out of your phone. MOVE ON with your life. 

So, whether it's an ex-boyfriend, ex-girlfriend, or ex-best friend, just scroll...select...delete!

Staying Motivated

Staying Motivated - Tips and Strategies

• Do you give up on schoolwork too easily?
• Do you think negative thoughts about yourself and your abilities? 
• Are you frustrated in your classes or unhappy with your grades?
• Would you like to feel more confident about yourself and more optimistic about your future?

If you answered yes to any of the above, it's important you find ways to feel more positive about your abilities and school.

Changing the way you feel about your academic abilities or the importance of your education involves making changes in both your thinking and behavior.

HAVE A POSITIVE ATTITUDE

• Believe in yourself - Recognize the talents and abilities you have and believe you can succeed!
• Surround yourself with positive people - Choose people who support and encourage you!
• Move with positive energy - Stand tall, walk with confidence and purpose and SMILE! If you act positive, you just may find that you feel more positive.

PLAN FOR SUCCESS

• Set goals - Goals give you direction. They help you decide where you want to go and what you need to do. Have a list of both short-term and long-term goals. 
• Focus on your strengths - Your future lies in your strengths. Identify your talents and strengths and look for ways to nurture and develop them.
• Positive Self Talk - Replace "I'm terrible at math" with "I'm smart. I can do this." Changing how you think will change how you feel and how you act!

MOTIVATION TIPS

• Visualize - Visualize your success! Close your eyes and imagine that you're taking a test in a difficult course. See yourself answering the questions correctly and getting the grade you want. 
• Use motivating "self notes" - Write motivating words, ideas and/or quotes on sticky notes. Put these notes on your mirror, computer or anywhere you're likely to see them.
• Expect to work hard - Learning should be challenging and you should expect it to be difficult at times. Just know that you can rise to the challenge!
• Take care of your mind and body - Get plenty of sleep, eat healthy foods, get regular exercise and find healthy ways to deal with stress.
• Turn failures into successes - When something doesn't go well, try to learn from the experience. As Henry Ford said, "Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently."

DON'T GIVE UP!

These very successful people faced failure and doubt, but they refused to give up:

• Michael Jordan was cut from the high school varsity basketball team his sophomore year.
• Walt Disney was fired by a newspaper editor because he had "no good ideas."
• Raised in extreme poverty, Oprah Winfrey didn't own a pair of shoes until she was six. She is now a billionaire.
• Thomas Edison once had a teacher who told him that he was too stupid to learn anything.
• Steven Spielberg, an Academy Award winning director, was rejected by USC's film school three times. 
• J.K. Rowling was living on welfare before she wrote the Harry Potter Series. 
• Winston Churchill failed the sixth grade.

"If we did all the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astonish ourselves." Thomas Edison

Information taken from: Study Tips and Strategies InfoGuide, Woodburn Press

Snapchat - What do parents need to know? Keeping your Kids Safe Online - part 3

Snapchat - What do parents need to know?

Snapchat is one of the newer social media sites. Snapchat is a photo and video sharing app with a twist. The picture or video you send will disappear after 1-10 seconds.  Users love the spontaneity of
that—it feels like socializing that’s digital footprint-free—but, there are ways to capture and
recover images, so no one should develop a false sense of “security” about that.   It was developed as an antidote to “traditional” social networking services, where images can stay around forever and people have to worry about self-presentation and reputations. Snapchat users feel like they don’t have to worry if they’re having a bad hair day or just want to make a silly face.

Snapchat is one of thousands of media- sharing apps that kids use and it’s not even the 6
only one with disappearing pictures (Facebook, for example, has a similar app called
Poke). New apps are popping up all the time, and parents can’t possibly be on top of all
of them. That’s why it’s important for kids to develop critical thinking skills. But know,
too, that the values and social skills you’re teaching them help them stay safe in digital
media and other aspects of their lives.

As parents, it’s important to keep the lines of communication with your
kids as open as possible and work together to figure out what’s appropriate for them, in
terms of safety, privacy, reputation and time management. It generally just works better
to talk with your kids about their favorite tools—with genuine interest, not fear—because
they’re more likely to come to you when they need help and you’re much more likely to
be kept in the loop about all the cool technology they use and you get to learn about

Additional Information:
Connect Safely - A Parents' Guide to Snapchat

Keeping Your Kids Safe Online - part 2

Internet safety is critical. Here are some quick tips for parents when dealing with your children online: 

• Always know what sites they are using
• Always know their passwords for all the sites they are using
• Stay informed about what sites are out there
• Stay informed about what your kids are doing
• Listen
• Observe 
• Respect
• Do what you have to do - YOU are the parent. Do what you think is best for your child.

You can find additional information on my website at: https://sites.google.com/a/gaston.k12.nc.us/egoliverweb/parents/internet-social-media