Catalyst

Informed Families Catalyst

President's Message - April 2019

Posted by Peggy B. Sapp, President & CEO on April 26, 2019 at 3:00 PM

Communicating Across Generations 

I recently read that some families now have five living generations. Imagine that. Each generation has a totally different world view and processes information in a different way. However simply engaging with others remains the key to communicating effectively.

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Topics: President's Message, parenting, communication, safe homes smart parties, underage drinking, teens, peer pressure, parents, alcohol use, alcohol abuse

President's Message - January 2016

Posted by Peggy B. Sapp, President & CEO on January 28, 2016 at 11:51 AM

Dabbing: "You Are All Crazy, It's A Dance!"

From the moment we hold our own baby in our arms, we have a deep instinctual desire to keep that baby safe.

We read all the “latest” info on child development, never thinking that maybe the old tried and true that our Mothers told us might be best.  Sometimes, as a parent, we become fatigued from repeating the same message…think of having a 2 year old or a teenager.  Well, imagine being a grandparent and still wanting to keep your children and grandchildren Safe, Healthy, and Drug Free!  Exhausting.

I received a long, descriptive definition about the “latest” drug trend, Dabbing. I was perplexed about how to handle the information. The dilemma: if we broadcast all the particulars, will it give some enterprising kid an idea to try it?

Well, as usual, I tested out the message on my family.  New technology gives us the power to connect to everyone through text chats.   So on one of the family exchanges, I casually asked, “does anyone know what Dabbing is?” The exchanges ranged from dabbing as a verb with a cotton ball, to a dance, to a drug.

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Topics: President's Message, communication, technology, drug free, dabbing

Open-Ended Questions To Keep Everyone Talking

Posted by Informed Families on September 16, 2015 at 4:43 PM

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Topics: Family Day, communication

10 Tips For Successful Family Car Trips

Posted by Matt Sanders, Triple P Positive Parenting Program on July 1, 2015 at 10:06 AM

If you’re packing up the car and the family and heading off for some holiday fun, you might appreciate a few tried and tested tips to make the journey more pleasant for everyone.

Here are 10 tips to help make your road trip a success:

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Topics: parenting, communication, car trips

5 Ways To Rule The Roost

Posted by Matt Sanders, Triple P Positive Parenting Program on May 19, 2015 at 2:37 PM

“Rules are made to be broken,” the old anti-establishment slogan says. Yet as adults, we know that the modern orderly world in which we live functions because the vast majority of us follow basic social rules and conventions. The freedom to question the appropriateness of such rules and to object to injustice is also fundamental to a democratic society.

It is not surprising then that many parents have mixed feelings about imposing rules. On the one hand they want their children to learn what is expected of them so they can get on with others. At the same time they do not want their children to be blindly obedient to adult authority.

For children to become socially responsible they must learn that reasonable rules and limits are there for their safety and well-being, not because it’s convenient for parents. Rules help children learn exactly what sorts of behaviors are considered appropriate by their parents and what is not acceptable. They also help children learn an understanding of how fair rules are developed.

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Topics: parenting, parent involvement, positive parenting, communication, rules, family rules

Where You Sit Determines What You See

Posted by David Altshuler, M.S. on April 22, 2015 at 8:08 PM

A respected colleague makes the case for allowing kids to play video games. Not only do games enhance hand-eye coordination, but gaming is also the new form of reading, he suggests. Decrying video games because some are a waste of time is equivalent to throwing out all novels because Sweet Valley High is badly written. Good games are interactive and endlessly fascinating. Good games are eating the lunch of novels and other forms of fiction. The alternative to a good graphic game isn't The Scarlett Letter or Moby Dick.

Kids read graphic novels on-line rather than reading books. Hours spent gaming may not be hours spent studying or developing a plan to end homelessness in your community, but time spent on programming is not hours spent taking drugs or mugging old ladies either. Gaming allows hard-working, productive students to relax.
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Topics: David Altshuler, parenting, communication, technology, family bonding, gaming, video games

6 Ways To Raise A "Good Sport"

Posted by Matt Sanders, Triple P Positive Parenting Program on April 17, 2015 at 2:21 PM

News in the past of reported violent incidents at children’s sporting events must leave some parents wondering whether they want their children to be involved in sports at all.

The fact is, playing sports helps children gain regular exercise, make new friends and learn valuable social lessons about teamwork, responsibility and competition. But too much pressure by parents excessively keen on winning can create anxiety and other emotional problems.

Standing at the sidelines yelling about dropped catches, missed tackles, or the suspect familial origins of the referee or opposition players isn’t such a good role model for your children. And for some children the pressure to perform may bring tears and sore tummies on Saturday morning prior to a sporting event.

Of course it is perfectly normal to take pride in your child’s sporting activities and to enjoy watching them participate in sports. What is more important though then your child becoming good at sports is to see them become a ‘good sport.’

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Topics: parenting, parent involvement, positive parenting, communication, sports, sportsmanship, good sport, athletics

Dad, Can I Throw A Party?

Posted by David Williams, Jr. on March 11, 2015 at 2:48 PM

Picture this.

Son asked father if he could have a party.

Father said, “yes.”

Father asked son if he could help with the planning.

Son said friends were taking care of it.

Two DJs came to set up for party in the back yard.

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Topics: parenting, communication, safe parties, teenagers, safe homes smart parties

The City Mouse & The Country Mouse

Posted by David Altshuler, M.S. on March 11, 2015 at 1:30 PM

Running with half a dozen buddies in the early morning on New Year's Day, I asked a friend what she and her teen-aged children had done the night before. "Just stayed home and played Parcheesi," Danielle said. "Then the kids and I started to watch a movie, but I fell asleep on the couch in the living room."

"My kids and I stayed home too," I replied. "We played Dominoes and then they baked something that was almost edible. But I'm leaving out the word 'just.' I'm happy to hang out with my wife and children. The kids will be grown and gone soon enough."

As we trotted over tree roots on our way down toward Matheson Hammock, another running buddy joined the conversation: "You supercilious prig," Lynn began. "Not only are you living in a cave, you are harming your kids by not letting them go out from the damp, dark confines in the side of a cliff."

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Topics: David Altshuler, parenting, marijuana legalization, marijuana, communication, brain development, family bonding

6 Ways To Stop Your Child From Stealing

Posted by Matt Sanders, Triple P Positive Parenting Program on March 10, 2015 at 2:23 PM

Many adults will probably recall a time in their childhood when they were guilty of a little stealing. Perhaps it was just a few dollars you found lying around the house, or a tempting trinket off a shop counter.

The truth is that young children do not always understand exactly what stealing is, and those that do sometimes steal to impress their friends or for a dare. For most children this “experiment” in dishonesty is short-lived, especially when they are caught and appropriately disciplined.

Stealing needs to be considered as a potentially serious problem, especially if it occurs outside the home. Of course if your child has stolen something, it doesn’t make them a delinquent. Rather, you need to discourage stealing, find out the reasons your child has stolen, and take steps to prevent it leading to further problems at school and in the wider community.

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Topics: parenting, parent involvement, positive parenting, discipline, communication, stealing

About Us

We teach people how to say no to drugs and how to make healthy choices. To reduce the demand for drugs, Informed Families has focused its efforts on educating and mobilizing the community, parents and young people in order to change attitudes. In this way we counteract the pressures in society that condone and promote drug and alcohol use and abuse. The organization educates thousands of families annually about how to stay drug and alcohol free through networking and a variety of programs and services .

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