Let's see, I have a chemistry test this morning, cheerleading practice this afternoon and a meeting with my life coach in the early evening... Teens and tweens are increasingly turning to life coaches to help them not just organize their busy schedules or learn more effective study habits, but to learn to prioritize activities and understand different perspectives. Aligning activities with core values and learning new problem-solving skills are some of the exercises kids work on with their life coaches. Advocates say life coaches serve as impartial third-parties and an alternate adult for teens to talk to -- one without the complicated relationship of a parent. Skeptics say the whole business is just a bunch of hooey. What say you?
Sexual harassment -- prevalent amongst politicians and middle school students?! According to a new survey, 48 percent of middle and high school students claim to have been sexually harassed. Given the prevalence of texting, emailing and social media use amongst teens, the opportunities to harass are far greater than they once were. Half of the kids who were harassed did nothing about it, for fear of making things worse or doubting that reporting it would change anything. Of those who did talk, only nine percent told an adult at school, the rest confided in friends or parents. The report's authors said that much of the harassment is being labeled as "bullying," which has become a more comfortable term for kids to use.
Is it time for more African-American dolls to wear curly hair with pride? Some African-American moms lament that black Barbies, Tiana dolls and even Addy, the American Girl doll who escaped slavery, feature stick-straight, glossy hair that doesn't resemble their daughter's tresses. Some moms have even gone beyond lamenting and devised ways to re-style the doll's hairand share tutorials for beading, braiding and creating a more natural 'do for dolls.
Do you want to introduce your young daughter to the finer things in life? Do you want your daughter to know about Coco, and not just cocoa? If so, then you, my friend, are in luck. Welcome to the online Chanel coloring book. This virtual experience allows your child to color everything from a pair of classic pumps to the iconic wool suit coat. Once she's done coloring, she can move over to the memory game, where she matches up memorable Chanel images -- if she does well, you can reward her with her first bottle of No. 5. Actually, forget your kids. Once you're done mocking it, it's pretty fun to customize your very own Chanel clutch...
Schools, we commend your efforts to curb obesity by restricting students' access to soda and other sugary drinks. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be working. A new study out shows that restrictions or no restrictions, teens will find a way to drink the same amount of the highly-caloric beverages.
Dana Macario is a TODAY Moms contributor and Seattle mom to two sleep-depriving toddlers. She is currently developing an alarm clock that will start an IV coffee drip 10 minutes prior to wake-up time. Once properly caffeinated, she also blogs at www.18years2life.com.