Note: Abby Bleistein is a primary care physician board certified in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics. She is also a Kidpower Board member. In this article, Dr. Bleistein describes how she uses the Kidpower skills of protecting ourselves from hurting words to combat negative self-talk. I often have patients come to me for advice on losing [...]

Our best lessons often come from our students. During a workshop for young adults with developmental delays, a large heavy-set young man, Lester, said very sadly and earnestly, “But, Irene, I AM fat and ugly! What good words can I say to myself about THAT?” “Lester, when you look at the moon,” I said, “It [...]

15-year-old Audrie Potts from Saratoga, California, took her life after expressing her despair online about being sexually assaulted and cyber-bullied. Her parents only found these messages when searching for reasons after her death. According to some estimates, teens spend half their lives online. These electronic worlds are too dangerous for our kids to live in without the knowledge and guidance of the adults who love them.

Too many times, adults don’t discover online messages about cyber-bullying, parties with heavy drinking, or warning signs of despair or violence until after something terrible has happened, when the opportunity to take protective action is gone.

The first time I encountered people on the street asking for money, I was overwhelmed by a desire to help.  I was 14 years old and with my family on vacation in Mexico. At the market, a wistful girl wearing torn clothes approached me with her little hand held out and said, “Tengo hambre.” (“I [...]