Bullying is a major problem in our schools, workplaces, homes, and over the Internet. During the month of February, many organizations across Canada will work to raise awareness on this issue and give us the tools needed to stand up against bullying and step in when we see it happening. February 25th is Pink Shirt Day and it is recognized in schools across Canada and worldwide by wearing pink in support of anti-bullying.
I would like to share an animation that highlights the power of our words. Words (which is also the introduction post to Words on a Limb) has truly become one of my favourite videos to share with students when discussing issues around bullying and raising awareness of the impact we have on others through speech and actions. The power of our words can never be underestimated. To build or destroy, it is always our choice.
Words by Lora Rozler is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Here is a snippet of the Globe & Mail article that describes how Pink Shirt Day began:
“David Shepherd, Travis Price and their teenage friends organized a high-school protest to wear pink in sympathy with a Grade 9 boy who was being bullied [for wearing a pink shirt]…[They] took a stand against bullying when they protested against the harassment of a new Grade 9 student by distributing pink T-shirts to all the boys in their school.
‘I learned that two people can come up with an idea, run with it, and it can do wonders,’ says Mr. Price, 17, who organized the pink protest. ‘Finally, someone stood up for a weaker kid.’
So Mr. Shepherd and some other headed off to a discount store and bought 50 pink tank tops. They sent out message to schoolmates that night, and the next morning they hauled the shirts to school in a plastic bag.
As they stood in the foyer handing out the shirts, the bullied boy walked in. His face spoke volumes. ‘It looked like a huge weight was lifted off his shoulders,’ Mr. Price recalled.
The bullies were never heard from again.”
It is not always easy to broach difficult topics with our children and students. This is where great literature comes in handy in opening a platform for discussion and reflection. Below is a collection of wonderful picture books to provoke questions about bullying, both as victims and perpetrators. Feel free to share other great books you’ve come across in the comment box below. I will be more than happy to add them to our list. Continue reading
Today is the day.
Listening and respecting others are pretty much self-evident, and is only a matter of allowing yourself to put them into action. Children learn “active listening skills” from their grade school teachers and keep us reminded of this elementary skill we adults and parents now call “being present.” When we talk to other adults, we can openly challenge that which we do not agree with. However, this approach can stifle a child’s willingness to speak openly. Since their desire is to please us, we need to make sure we do not curtail their emoting by our statements. We need to acknowledge their point of view, and then we can proceed to explain why we believe our point of view.
same. Our tone of voice conveys more to our children than any words. Statements can spill out of our mouths without our realizing how it can sound to a child. Tone of voice and listening were the two skills I immediately noticed and admired when I first met my husband before I knew what he did as a profession. As we became friends, then newlyweds and then as new parents, his listening-skills-training as a psychologist and physician, fostered an open communication style within our relationship and with our children. But you don’t need to be a doctor or married to one to put these skills into use. When attention is given to listening and noticing our projected tone of voice with our responses, we learn a lot about ourselves and how we come across to others with whom we are communicating, especially our children. When we convey patience and serenity in our conversation, it opens up discussion.
tough questions or topics I’d rather put off for an eternal “another time”, I’m reminded of two thoughts I’d like to share with you. I don’t remember which of the gazillion parenting books or articles where I read these, so I apologize for my failure of referencing the particular sources. Their emphasis on focusing on the moment and their wisdom reached out and grabbed my attention and my heart. They have helped me and have stayed with me to this day. I hope they do the same for you.
I was able to connect with Teresa and Bernard through our site’s various communications with authors and illustrators. After reading their book, I felt their story shone a light on a topic that most of us do not typically have a chance to discover, unless of course our lives are touched by this miracle. As a bonus, we also learned some healthy tips on relating to the most important loved ones in our lives.
generally cheer for Canada. We are fairly interested in how well our country, or adopted nation, is doing. During this time, we are all Canadian. Also, people are watching events they only care about once every four years. But when you talk about the World Cup, there’s a greater fascination with it because more people around the world watch football every week of every month of every year. When the big tournament finally rolls around, people begin to identify with their country of origin, a nationalistic fever rises up. Ethnic groups that were proud to cheer for Canada during the Olympics, suddenly discover their roots. Furthermore, even if your nation did not make it through the grueling 2 year World Cup qualification period, you will find a country to raise your voice for. That is the magic of football. It unites us all, under the umbrella of a global spectacle.
I was lucky enough to see Ecuador make it into the World Cup this time around, in a tough group, no less. But for 2 weeks, I was Ecuadorian, and staunchly so. That’s right; I was out on the street, waving my flag, in my nation’s jersey, shoulder to shoulder with other compatriots when they defeated Honduras. Then, I was proportionately devastated when they could not score just one more goal against the mighty French to see themselves through to the next round.
coverage of stadia, bars, streets and homes all around the world, you see women, men, children, grandparents, people from all walks of life, uniting to express their cultural pride for their colors. Cars honk to acknowledge your allegiance, people give you high fives in the supermarket when they see you in your nation’s jersey, and people share your pain walking down the street when your colours are defeated – the ultimate cultural expression.
in the world, and they know what to do. I’ve actually experienced this unique pleasure when I travelled through Europe. Wherever I visited, I picked up a little football souvenir and on several occasions, kicked it around in airports and train stations with people I had never met in my life, regardless of the fact that we did not share a language. That is powerful.
imagine. I watched the final in front of a massive screen on the streets of Avellino. When the last penalty went in and the blessed Azzurri were proclaimed world champions, I was embraced by hundreds of euphoric fans. What followed was an incredible, jubilant, yet peaceful celebration in the quaint little avenues of the small Italian town.
representation is, by no means, unique to football. But the World Cup manages to elicit a more passionate, fervent and almost religious-like following from more fans around the planet than any other event, including the Olympics. The tournament has a way of enabling citizens to puff out their chest; of giving them license to say this is our team and having great pride in their nation, and no other sporting event does that because no other sport truly embraces so many people from every corner of the globe. It is the ultimate economic equalizer. It is enjoyed in the poorest as well as the richest nations on the planet. It removes all obstacles and boundaries. Case in point, legends like Pele and Maradona used football to escape abject poverty. Magnates have built vast empires on the power of its fanaticism. The beautiful game is talked about in the most desolate favelas of Brazil just as it is in the wealthiest lunch rooms of Wall Street in New York.
the key one: it is the simplest and therefore most accessible game to play. No need for special equipment or confusing rules. Simply kick the ball. You can use tin can, a coconut, rolled up sock, I used to play with tennis ball before my parents bought me my own shiny new football. Find a couple of shirts or jackets, or anything for that matter, as posts, a couple of friends and you have a game. 
You can play anywhere – on grass, on pavement, in the school or office hall, in the rain, mud or snow, indoors or outdoors, on the beach. This, by the way, is a distinct indulgence for me – sun shining, bathing trunks, 
I ate my dinner but I was mad.
Words On A Limb 