Handy Flow Chart Helps Select Perfect Toy For The Little Girl Or Boy In Your Life
Larissa Waters has launched a campaign called No Gender December meant to bring awareness about the consequences of gender stereotypes in toys in the lead-up to Christmas, (but really this just makes good sense no matter what time of the year it is). She says “Children shouldn't have to conform to gender stereotypes. Boys might be interested in toys that are marketed as for girls and vice versa. This isn't about some toys being off limits. It’s about children being free to play with whatever toys interest them without fear of being judged or bullied,” Judith Elaine Blakemore is professor of psychology and associate dean of Arts and Sciences for Faculty Development at Indiana University−Purdue University in Fort Wayne, Indiana through her research she has the following advice to offer to parents, teachers and anyone who works with children "If you want to develop children's physical, cognitive, academic, musical, and artistic skills, toys that are not strongly gender-typed are more likely to do this." Even a 5 year old has voiced her frustration on gender specific toy marketing you can check out Riley's Pink Aisle Rant to hear her concerns.
Below you will find a handy guide on how to pick the perfect gift for the child in your life.
Why does gender-stereotyped toy marketing matter?
- Kids should decide for themselves what they think is fun. Why put these limits on play?
- Play matters. Children need a wide range of play to develop different skills.
- Marketing matters. Directing consumers in this way is restricting children’s play.
- The real world has moved on. Gender stereotypes are tired and out of date.
Have you spotted the gender in your local toy aisles? Share your experiences below.
Afraid to Talk to Your Kids About Sex? She'll do it for you...
Does talking to you kid about S-E-X make you uncomfortable? Well you can always send them over to Auntie Erika.
Who sat you down and had "The Talk" with you when you were younger? Was/is your definition as broad as Erika's here? What are some of the questions you are most uncomfortable answering should your child pose them?
How to Prevent Rape: A Handy Instruction Guide
In case you were not clear on how to prevent rape here is a handy instruction guide. Feel free to print it out, clip it out and tuck it in your pocket. Also, a fantastic party favor to give away when your guests leave.
Have you ever heard someone express that rape is ok in certain circumstances? What circumstances do you think rape is ok? Have you or someone you know been raped because someone violated one of these 5 instructions listed?
This Public Health Issue Has Claimed More Lives Than [Insert Current Health Scare ]in the U.S. Yet, Remains Ignored
Jean Kilbourne, Ed.D. is an author, speaker, and filmmaker who is internationally recognized for her work on the image of women in advertising and her critical studies of alcohol and tobacco advertising. Here she discusses how ads sell more than products in the trailer for her 4th release and updated version of Killing Us Softly.
You can discover more about Jean on her website www.jeankilbourne.com. Her book Can't Buy Me Love: How Advertising Changes the Way We Think and Feel is a must read! The third edition of Killing Us Softly is also available on DVD. If you like her work show your support on Facebook.
Over the course of your life in what ways do you feel ads have influenced your decisions about basic purchases and major life decisions?
Who Do You See When You Look In the Mirror?
How do you feel when you look in the mirror every morning? Why do you feel that way about yourself? If this where to happen to you whose words would make the biggest impact on you?
I want you to know I think you are amazing and you touch more people's lives than you know, because it's true!
Socially Constructed Ideas of Beauty
At one time or another we have all looked in the mirror and judged ourselves using the meter of some socially constructed beauty standard. This could have been instilled in you via your family,your circle of friends, or even the country or culture you were predisposed to.
What were some of those standards that you held yourself up to when you looked in the mirror and do you still carry them with you today?
Some People Just Don't Like Cheerios in Their Super Bowl
What should have been seen as just another commercial of an average American family ended up turning into the biggest racist backlash story of Super Bowl 2014. What caused all the ruckus? The family was interracial.
From the mouths of babes :The Find Bros., YouTube content creators ask kids for their insight on this commercial and the controversy it created in their popular Kids React series.
We live in a world that is ethnically diverse it is time to come to a place of acceptance on the matter. Share your ethnic heritage below. Be sure to include any anecdotes that come to mind when dealing with intolerance in your own life.
"That's My Jam!"- Says Every Minimum Wage Earner
Damian Washington makes the plea:
Pay America's Workers A Livable Wage!
(1) Many minimum wage earners are adults who are major breadwinners for their families;
(2) had the minimum wage fifty years ago merely kept up with inflation it would be over $15 today;
(3) when these giant corporations don’t pay living wages the rest of us pay Medicaid and food stamps to help these families stay out of poverty;
(4) a $15 living wage puts more money into the pockets of people who will spend it, thereby creating more jobs, not fewer.
Not only does he prove he has rapping chops, but he truly shows he IS a gentleman and scholar too!
The United States Department of Labor has some mythbusters provided on their website here are some of the highlights:
Myth: Raising the minimum wage will only benefit teens.
Not true: The typical minimum wage worker is not a high-school student earning weekend pocket money. In fact, 88 percent of those who would benefit from a federal minimum wage increase are age 20 or older, and 55 percent are women.
Myth: Increasing the minimum wage will cause people to lose their jobs.
Not true: A review of 64 studies on minimum wage increases found no discernable effect on employment. Additionally, more than 600 economists, seven of them Nobel Prize winners in economics, have signed onto a letter in support of raising the minimum wage to $10.10 by 2016.
Myth: Restaurant servers don't need to be paid the minimum wage since they receive tips.
Not true: An employer can pay a tipped employee as little as $2.13 per hour in direct wages, but only if that amount plus tips equal at least the federal minimum wage and the worker retains all tips and customarily and regularly receives more than $30 a month in tips. Often, an employee's tips combined with the employer's direct wages of at least $2.13 an hour do not equal the federal minimum hourly wage. When that occurs, the employer must make up the difference. Some states have minimum wage laws specific to tipped employees. When an employee is subject to both the federal and state wage laws, he or she is entitled to the provisions of each law which provides the greater benefits.
The information provided on their website is excellent regarding this issue so I highly recommend you check it out!
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures 38 states introduced minimum wage bills during the 2014 session.
- Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts,Michigan, Minnesota, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia and D.C. have enacted increases during the 2014 session.
Economists agree that raising the minimum wage reduces poverty. Want to see which 600 Economists Signed a Letter in Support of $10.10 Minimum Wage? Check it out here: Economist Statement on the Federal Minimum Wage