Meet Our New Attorney
We are so excited to welcome Rosalie Cruz to our firm this year. She comes from a background in family law, and her experience and knowledge in the field makes her a great addition to Bruce Law. Ms. Cruz had her first experience working for an attorney during high school at a personal injury firm. She also worked at a family law firm during college. After working with the magistrates at the Palm Beach County Courthouse for five years, Rosalie left to pursue her dream to go to law school.
WAIT — SCREEN TIME IS GOOD FOR KIDS? How a Balanced Media Diet Bolsters Child Development If you Google the effects of screen time on children, you’re sure to be bombarded with horror stories. Numerous articles claim that, beginning in infancy, the more time a child spends in front of a TV, phone, or computer, the worse their developmental outcomes will be. At first glance, the research is utterly conclusive. It seems we should throw out every TV in our house, smash our kids’ smartphones, and usher our children into the great outdoors as soon as possible. But what most of these studies fail to take into account is the content of the electronic media. If a child spends two hours a day binging episodes of “The Big Bang Theory” or screaming obscenities into a headset while playing “Call of Duty,” it’s going to negatively impact their experience of the world along with their mental and physical health. But not all content is created equal. In the past, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended strict limits on electronic engagement for kids, following the old line of thinking that any kind of screen time would be better spent climbing a tree or running in the backyard. But in October of 2016, they offered new recommendations for parents. For infants and young toddlers, the research still sides pretty heavily against the use of iPads and television. Before 18 months of age, a child lacks the cognitive capabilities allowing them to apply the lessons of technology to real life, and even after that, the APP recommends that media consumption should be limited to “high- quality programming, such as the content offered by Sesame Workshop and PBS.” But for kids ages 5 and up, parents should avoid banning screen time outright, but function as their child’s media mentor. Instead of decrying time spent building complex structures in “Minecraft” as hours that could be spent on the soccer field, we should set expectations and boundaries to ensure that children can deepen their experience of the world through media, not hamper it. The problem starts not with the screen itself, but when the consumption of media becomes problematic, replacing regular face-to-face interactions and physical activity. But with a balanced media diet, kids can have the best of both worlds.
With her early exposure to family law, participating in the family law clinic later in law school solidified Rosalie’s decision that this was the area of practice for her. “There’s a lot of emotion, and sometimes it’s really challenging for our clients. Sometimes, attorneys just want to focus on the administrative work and not get caught up in emotions, but helping our clients with that aspect is part of our job.” Rosalie has been part of many cases, and she recalls one that has stayed with her. “It was a relocation trial. This little boy had grown up with his dad, but his mom wanted to relocate him to another state. We were working on the case so he could remain with his dad, and the judge ruled in our favor. My client was able to stay with his son, and it was a happy conclusion for everyone.” As a mother herself, Rosalie spends most of her time outside of work with her son. “I like to take him to the park or the beach, and we like to travel a lot.” They visit her family in Honduras when they can, and Rosalie hopes to go back to Europe at some point, where she visited in college.
When you come to Bruce Law this year, you’ll see the welcome new face of someone who is passionate about her work and her clients.
Rosalie says, “My favorite part about family law is the interactions we get to have with people. Each case is unique, just as each person is unique, and we look for creative ways to approach each one. Family law challenges you to think outside of the box to help others.”
Does a friend or client have divorce questions?
our divorce strategy book can help!
The book can be downloaded for FREE at BrucePA.com/free-divorce-book .
If your friend or client lives in the South Florida area we will mail them a hard copy of the book upon request.
2 • BrucePA.com
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