I have a terrible admission to make: my daughter was bullied and I failed to recognize it. She is now a freshman in college and has used her experience to write her college admissions essay. While she is succeeding at school and in life, the scars of the insults, name calling and ostracizing still occasionally eat at her confidence and sense of self-worth.
She told me kids had been picking on her back in elementary school. The verbal, occasional physical assaults (pushing, hair pulling, etc.) and false rumors apparently increased in middle school and freshman and sophomore years in high school. I was fairly oblivious because she seemed well adjusted, getting good grades and active in school activities. She has since told me that she felt alone and that my advice that, “these things will pass” and “toughen up” made her feel even more isolated.
If it can happen to us, it can happen to any family. That’s why it is so important that parents, educators and others are aware of National Bullying Month.
October is National Bullying Month. The campaign began with a one week observation and informational campaign in 2006 by the nonprofit PACER Resource Center, created by parents of children and youth with disabilities, to help other parents and families facing similar challenges. Their statistics show more than 13 million American Children are bullied each year – one out of every three students – and bullying significantly impacts the emotional and physical well-being of those involved.
With the explosion of social media, cell phones and portable computers, bullying has been elevated to new levels through “cyber-bullying.”
PACER is encouraging individuals, schools, businesses and organizations around the country to show their support for National Bullying Prevention Month this year, by raising awareness and offering bullying prevention resources.
A highlight every year is Unity Day, where participants are urged to wear orange. The first Unity Day in 2011 was promoted by Ellen DeGeneres, and the day has gone viral via Facebook.
The National Education Association (NEA) is also a major proponent of ending bullying. They cite a report by Joel Haber, Ph.D., and author of Bullyproof Your Child for Life: Protect Your Child from Teasing, Taunting and Bullying for Good, that nearly one out of four children report experiences with bullying and 80 percent of high school students say they witness bullying at least once a week. Eliminating bullying takes the efforts of everybody and as the NEA aptly put it, “Students cannot learn if they are living in fear.”
There’s excitement and anticipation associated with relocating to a new place to live; you get to pick the paint colors you love, maybe there is a new yard to plan and that extra room you always wanted. If you are preparing for a new home or apartment, you are not alone; the U.S. Census Bureau finds almost 36 million people moved to a new residence between 2012 and 2013. The reason for most was to find a new place to live, followed by relocation for a new job. No matter the reason, preparing for a moving adventure can be a stressful experience.
Here are some helpful packing tips that will make the move easier, from the article 17 Packing Hacks that Will Transform Your Next Move:
Open all lotions, sprays and gels, place a layer of plastic wrap over the opening before putting the cap back on to prevent messy and costly spills
Use a garbage bag liner in a box with numerous small items that could break; it will make clean up much easier
Put necessities in a small suitcase or tote so they will be easy to find when you arrive at the new place
Keep clothes on hangers, zip tie them together and wrap them in plastic for easier transition into a new closet
Put fitted sheets on both sides of a mattress to protect it
Plastic foam plates between breakable dinnerware is better protection than newspaper
Potholders can be used as knife holders
Pack bottles of wine in kids pool floaties to keep them from breaking
Label your cords with duct tape with the name of the corresponding appliance for hassle free matching
Pack books in suitcases
The time of year you move can save you money. In 2008, July passed June as the most popular month to move. November was the slowest time, meaning more room for price negotiation.
To get copies of your family’s medical records and veterinary records for your pets, as well as copies of prescriptions you may need to transfer
An official copy of your child’s school records (needed to enroll them into a new school)
Valuables you had hidden around the house (jewelry, stamps, coins)
Important phone numbers and email addresses
The items you may have taken to the cleaners but hadn’t picked up yet (or the watch at the repair shop)
A copy of your new address
To leave some cleaning supplies for the after move clean up
To leave the garage door opener – many people forget to take the out of their vehicles
To open a checking account in your new city a month prior to the move
To gather all the keys to the house you have hidden or given to neighbors and friends
Keep in mind there are other expenses to consider: hotels, meals out and establishing utilities, internet and cable or satellite TV at your new location. Moving.com calculated that people spend more money during the three months around the time of their move than non-movers spend in five years. When all is said and done, relocating homeowners spent as much as $10,000 on furniture and accessories, apartment dwellers around $4,000.
Insurance is also an essential part of your move! While most renters and home insurance will cover your items during a move, very few provide coverage while your goods are in transit. It’s recommended that you purchase insurance from a moving company to protect your items from point A to point B.
You will also need to contact your California Casualty representative BEFORE-hand to get the appropriate coverage on your new dwelling.
Make sure you get the best value in protecting your home and the valuables inside. Contact a California Casualty advisor for a homeowner or renter policy review at 1.800.800.9410.
Ever wonder what life is like for our CEO outside of work? Here we will give you the inside scoop on all of Beau Brown’s likes, dislikes, hobbies and habits.
*A Special Post Written by Thomas Brown, son of CEO Beau Brown
Photo: (Left) Thomas Brown and Beau Brown
Beau is the 4th Generation Brown family CEO at California Casualty. He follows in the footsteps of Carl G. Brown Sr., Carl G. Brown Jr., and Thomas R. Brown.
Beau has been with the company for almost 26 years, starting officially in 1988. He has been CEO of California Casualty for 7 years, starting in 2007.
Beau’s first summer job, long before coming to California Casualty, was as a construction worker. He remembers that he used to pour concrete and once almost chopped off a finger while riding a forklift.
Beau went to college at Dartmouth, where he played football.
Beau enjoys fly-fishing. He goes to Wyoming every year to fish with his family.
Beau’s favorite sports teams are the Golden State Warriors, San Francisco Giants, and San Francisco 49ers.
Although football was his main sport throughout his childhood, Beau managed to coach his kids’ basketball teams until they each turned 10 when he realized that instructional books could only go so far and passed the job onto professional coaches.
Beau’s favorite ice cream flavor is peppermint. Unfortunately this flavor is only available at Christmas, so during other times of the year he enjoys cookies and cream.
Beau drives the spacious Buick Enclave which helps him drive his son and lots of his teammates to their basketball games.
Beau enjoys taking long 2 hour walks around Stanford. According to his kids, he seems to never be without the giant straw hat that he takes along with him on his walks.
Beau consistently goes to bed before 8:30 so he can wake up early to get to work. He believes that sleep is very important and is constantly trying to convert his family to the “getting to bed early” schedule.
Ok, so there isn’t actually a Chicken Wing Shortage. Much like the great bacon scare of 2012, it’s an overreaction to a simple press release. Chicken wings ARE a bit more expensive this year – so if you want to save some cash and have a delicious substitute, we have a great chicken wing dip recipe for you!
1 pkg. cream cheese
2 cans chunk chicken, drained
½ bottle hot wing sauce
½ bottle blue cheese dressing
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Break apart chicken in a sauce pan and add hot wing sauce. Bring to a simmer for 5 minutes.
Spread cream cheese in the bottom of a 9×9 pan.
Spread chicken mixture on top of the cream cheese.
Pour ½ bottle of blue cheese dressing over chicken (more or less to taste)
Top with shredded cheese.
Bake for approximately 30 minutes until heated through and cheese is melted.
Serve with celery sticks and Club crackers.
Recipe can be easily doubled and placed in a 9×13 pan for large crowds.
We’ve been keeping a close eye on the wildfires raging in Colorado.
This is for a couple reasons. First and foremost, we like to know what’s happening in the ‘fire world.’ We have a big network of Firefighters and we work to stay in tune with what’s going on in their professional worlds. It’s part of the whole ‘understanding your profession’ promise. The better we know you and what you are up against, the better we can support you.
So, we’ve been watching. Updating our ‘Thank You Firefighters’twitter account with updates on the multiple fires raging across the country and the brave men and women out there fighting them- even as their own homes burn down.
It’s personal for us. We work with these firefighters.
This week, it got even more personal.
One of our service centers is in Colorado Springs.
As those of you in the area, or following the fires, know: The Waldo Canyon Fire is getting close to the Colorado Springs area. As it moves towards homes, fanned by heat and dry conditions, some Colorado Springs residents are being evacuated from their homes.
Our employees included.
This is the view from our service center:
Here in Kansas City, we know a thing or two about seasonal extreme weather.
So as we’ve followed the fires, some of the issues surrounding them are completely foreign to us.
For example: Media coverage of active wildfires.
If you can’t tell by now, I like to read Fire blogs. I’m a total social media nerd.
And a LOT of the Fire bloggers are not happy with the media stations in the areas surrounding these fires.
Why?
Because of pictures like this.
Some media stations are running footage–especially footage captured from the air–of actively burning homes.
The major risk? That families will find out that their home-their memories-have burned to the ground by watching the news.
Now, this is a complicated issue.
As a journalist by training, I know that whatever you shoot from the air is (legally speaking) usually fair game.
But what about ethically? Do people deserve to be alerted about the fate of their homes BEFORE they see the emotional footage on air? Can you imagine turning on the news after dinner, only to see your house engulfed in flames?
I can’t imagine.
So, we’re asking you. Where do you fall on this side of the debate? To air or not to air?
And of course, our thoughts go out to ALL of those affected–nationwide–by this devastating wildfire season. Please keep the safety of our firefighters in your thoughts, along with all of those displaced by these fires.
Update:
Here is a new series of pictures, showing the effect the wind changing has…
