Check out our November newsletter!
The Bledsoe Firm JustFamilyLaw.com | 949.363.5551 NOVEMBER | 2019
A ddressing the D ark S ide of S ocial M edia and C yberbullying
With the popularity of social media, we’ve seen a cultural shift. People are constantly on their smartphones, scrolling endlessly through their social media apps. It’s become an addiction that impacts kids, teens, adults — everyone. We’ve been talking about the dark sides of social media for the last two months, such as toxic perfectionism, but there’s one issue we haven’t yet touched: cyberbullying. Cyberbullying has been an issue for over two decades now, but with the increasing popularity of social media apps and smartphones, it’s easier than ever for kids to bully one another. For instance, kids might be bullying other kids over apps like TikTok. TikTok is an app designed to make and share quick videos. Many people use it to lip-sync to popular songs or to do little comedy skits. For the most part, the app is harmless, but kids do use the app to attack other kids. Those “attack” videos get shared, they spread, and it can be a matter of hours before everyone in a friend group, or everyone at the school, has that video. Of course, kids can bully other kids on just about any app. There was even a story that appeared on Lifehacker.com about how kids used Google Docs — an online word processing app — to bully other kids. It shows the lengths kids will go to bully. But no matter how kids choose to bully other kids, it can lead to serious consequences. Bullied kids are at far greater risk to develop depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. The challenge for parents comes down to the fact that cyberbullying is hard to “see.” It happens away from the eyes of anyone who is not participating in the bullying until it’s brought to the attention of a parent, teacher, or another authority figure. By then, the damage is often already done.
Of course, cyberbullying is a small part of a much bigger issue. We know for a fact that social media and screen addiction have a negative impact on mental and
emotional health. While this affects adults as well as children and teens, it is much worse for younger people who are still in their formative years. They’re still trying to figure out the world and who they are — and when they see all kinds of things on social media, it just adds to the confusion.
Collin Kartchner, a social media activist who founded #SaveTheKids (savethekids. us), has spoken with ER doctors about the dire consequences of social media and screen addiction. These doctors have talked to Collin about teen suicide and suicide attempts. Collin says suicide attempts are attributed to one of two things: No. 1 is “My parents took my phone,” and No. 2 is cyberbullying on social media. “Handing a smartphone with social media and untethered access to these apps with no training or no guidance is like handing them the keys to a car with no drivers ed,” Collin says. Apps like Instagram and Snapchat teach you that “You’ll never be enough. You’ll never be skinny enough or pretty enough or good enough that your worth is contingent on virtual likes, follower counts …” Collin continues: “The 24/7 constant access to peer culture is opening up a door and a wave of cyberbullying and social anxiety that we have never seen. And kids today are choosing to self-harm as a coping mechanism and a way to get attention.” As far as Collin is concerned, it’s an epidemic. But there are things we as parents, grandparents, and educators can do. Next month, in our final look at the dark side of social media, we’ll get into what parents can do to combat the negativity of social media and better protect their kids from issues like toxic perfectionism and cyberbullying. Stay tuned.
—John Bledsoe
1
JustFamilyLaw.com | 949.363.5551
to consume anything nutritious. If you’re finding it more difficult than usual to convince your child to eat their greens, here are some tips to keep in mind! 1. Let Them Help. If your child has grown out of the toddler stage and is still resistant to eating their vegetables, child psychologists say you should have them help with the cooking process. The excitement and anticipation that comes with getting to prepare the vegetables can encourage kids to try a couple bites during dinnertime. 2. Cheese It Up! Cheese can undoubtedly make veggies more appealing for your little ones. When making their favorite mac ‘n’ cheese dish, consider adding broccoli and peas to the sauce. The cheese will mask most of the veggie flavor, and your kids won’t care as much! Another option for really picky eaters is to purée vegetables, like sweet potatoes, into the cheese sauce. The bright orange color will mask the inclusion, ensuring your little one gets a good share of fiber-rich nutrients while being none the wiser. 3. Get ‘Beefy’ With Your Veggies. If your kids are fans of meat-based pasta sauces, meatballs, or sloppy Joes, you can substitute some of the ground beef with finely chopped mushrooms. Since the meaty texture of the tasty fungi is similar to ground beef, it’ll be hard for kids to notice the difference. Riced cauliflower can also be mistaken for tender ground beef when cooked in darker sauces and gravies. While it can be frustrating to negotiate with a picky eater, especially during the holidays, don’t lose hope. Try out these three tasty tips and observe Good Nutrition Month with a little more ease.
GET READY FOR GOOD NUTRITION IN NOVEMBER!
3 Tips to Get Your Picky Eaters to Eat the Veggies Their Bodies Need
It might seem strange that November — when millions of Americans gather around the dinner table to show gratitude through lavish Thanksgiving feasts — has recently been dubbed Good Nutrition Month. But it’s true; now is the time to pay extra attention to the nutrients your body needs to maintain its healthy state through the new year. While mindful eating is a habit families know they should practice year-round, once the holiday season kicks into full gear, it becomes much easier to overlook. With colder weather keeping you inside, the cravings for heartier meals and delicious baked goods leave parents struggling to encourage their picky eaters
Protect Your Finances in Divorce With These 3 Steps
It’s no secret that divorce can cause major financial problems. However, you can mitigate many of these problems by taking certain steps in the early days of your divorce. Here’s what you need to know. It’s all about record-keeping. The very first thing you should do if you’ve been served with divorce papers is to get all your records in order. We’ve said this before, and we'll say it again. This is absolutely one of the most important things you can do. And do it fast, before your spouse attempts anything which might make these records difficult to access. If you know you’ll be filing for divorce, take this step before you serve anyone papers. Dividing assets and liabilities is one of the biggest tasks of any divorce action. Without a clear picture of your marital property, you might end up walking away with far less than you’re entitled to. You may also lose the ability to make realistic settlement offers, which can save a lot of time and money while the divorce is in progress. Handle joint accounts correctly. As we discussed last month, close joint credit accounts right away. Ideally, you and your lawyer will prompt the court to issue an emergency order which specifies when and how the money may be used. Sometimes, judges will prevent both parties from using the account. It may be a good idea to withdraw half the funds prior to filing, then allow your spouse to withdraw half the funds after, and to shut down the account.
If you withdraw more than half and spend that money on anything other than household expenses, the court
may adjust your divorce settlement accordingly, giving your spouse a greater share of other assets to compensate. And stay out of your spouse’s accounts, even if you still know the passwords.
Consider a new retirement strategy. Divorce decimates retirement accounts. You may need to save more aggressively over the coming years if you want to stay on track. If your spouse was the one filling the retirement account through his or her job, make sure your divorce decree addresses it and that you get the proper qualified domestic relations order (QDRO) that will allow your spouse’s plan to disburse funds according to the laws and regulations governing the plan.
For more informative articles like this one, be sure to visit our blog at justfamilylaw.com/family-law-expert-blog!
2
JustFamilyLaw.com | 949.363.5551
W ord S earch Apples Pie
Get a Better Night’s Sleep With Pink Noise When was the last time you got a restful night’s sleep? For a lot of people, the answer is “I don’t know.” But we need a restful night's sleep in order to be our most aware and productive during the day. The problem is that a lot of people have trouble getting to sleep and staying asleep, and solutions aren’t always easy to find. When you don’t get enough sleep, you end up facing a number of health issues, both mental and physical. Lack of sleep impairs your cognitive abilities, including memory and recall. It becomes difficult to remember everyday things, from peoples' names to where you put your keys. Luckily, researchers say there is a solution to getting a better, more restful night’s sleep. According to a number of studies, including one published in 2017 in the Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, that solution is pink noise. Pink noise is similar to white noise from a fan or TV static. Pink noise has a different sound than white noise and is often compared to a rushing brook or small waterfall. (And here’s an interesting bit of trivia: There is also brown noise. It’s similar to the sound of waves crashing on a beach). Another study led Dr. Phyllis Zee, Professor of Neurology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, looked into the effects of pink noise. The study brought together several volunteers over the age of 60. The participants were split into two groups: One group slept while listening to pink noise, and the other slept without any noise. Every morning during the study, the participants took a memory test. Those who slept with the aid of pink noise scored 30% better on the test than those who had an ordinary night’s sleep. This is one test you can try at home. There are many pink noise generators and apps available online, including Noisli (noisli.com). You can also search “pink noise” on Google, which you can use to help lull you into a great night of ZZZ. In addition to cognitive impairment, poor sleep can also negatively impact your heart health. That alone is enough to warrant a better night’s sleep.
Pumpkin Harvest Crops Thanksgiving Holiday Fall Scarecrow Chilly Sweater
Inspired by The New York Times
Vegan Biscuits With Maple ‘Butter’
Ask any of your vegan friends and they’ll tell you it’s impossible to detect whether bread has dairy simply by looking at it. That can be tricky on Thanksgiving when ingredient labels aren’t always ready at hand. These biscuits solve that problem deliciously.
INGREDIENTS
For the Biscuits •
•
1/2 cup nondairy milk, ideally soy, almond, or rice
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for work surface
For the “Butter” •
1 cup vegan margarine, room temperature
•
1 tbsp baking powder
•
3/4 tsp salt
•
1/4 cup maple syrup
•
1/2 cup vegan margarine, plus extra for brushing
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 425 F. 2. In a bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. 3. Cut in margarine until you achieve a mealy texture with a few large margarine clumps. 4. Add milk and stir until just barely combined. 5. Spread out on cutting board and cut dough into rings. 6. Place on baking sheet, coat with margarine, and bake for 10–12 minutes. 7. For butter, fold together margarine and maple syrup. 8. Serve biscuits alongside butter.
3
JustFamilyLaw.com | 949.363.5551
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
JustFamilyLaw.com | 949.363.5551
23101 Lake Center Drive • Suite 310 Lake Forest, CA 92630
Inside
The Dark Side of Social Media: Cyberbullying
1
Trick Your Picky Eaters
2
3 Steps to Take to Protect Your Finances in Divorce
A Better Way to Get a More Restful Sleep
3
Vegan Biscuits With Maple ‘Butter’
4
Gratitude-Themed Games for Kids
Engage Your Kids on Thanksgiving
W ith T hese G ratitude -T hemed G ames
Guess Who?
Thanksgiving is an excellent time to teach children about gratefulness. By planning some fun, gratitude-
To play gratitude-themed Guess Who?, have each participant write down their name and something they’re thankful for on a slip of paper and put it in a bowl. Then, at the dinner table, have each person draw a random slip and read what it says without saying the name while everyone else tries to guess who wrote it. While Pictionary may get your kids talking about what they are thankful for, Guess Who? will tune them into what others around them are thankful for too.
themed games, you can impart a valuable lesson and spend some quality family time together. Get your kids in the holiday spirit by adding a Thanksgiving twist to these classic games.
Pick-Up Sticks
Pictionary
Like regular pick-up sticks, the goal is to remove a stick from a haphazard pile without disturbing the others. However, by using colored sticks that represent different kinds of thankfulness — such as places, people, or food — you can make players think outside the box. This will ensure you get a wide range of creative, thoughtful answers whenever the kids pick up a stick. These modified games are great for helping your kids realize how much they have to be thankful for. Use these to spend some fun, educational, quality time with your family this Thanksgiving.
Want to bring out your kids’ creative sides? Pictionary is the perfect way to encourage artistic expression and grateful thinking. Try adding a rule where players have to draw something they’re grateful for. This will get your kids thinking beyond turkey and stuffing and give them an imaginative way to express their gratitude. Plus, who doesn’t love a good art contest?
4
JustFamilyLaw.com | 949.363.5551
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4Made with FlippingBook Annual report