Jessica Speer's Blog, page 2

Middle School Stuff #9: Peer Pressure

This series of posts explores the tricky side of middle school. Here’s post #9 about Peer Pressure.  If you missed earlier posts, here are links: #1 – Judgment, #2 – Friendship Changes, #3 – Popularity,  #4 – Crushes & Dating, # 5 – Cliques & Groups, #6 – Gossip, #7 – Social Media and #8Continue reading "Middle School Stuff #9: Peer Pressure"

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Helping Kids Understand Mindful and Mindless Screen Time

This post defines mindful and mindless screen time, and offers ways to help kids become more aware of their own screen behaviors. My teen daughter takes a break from TikTok over the summer. This is no easy task, given that staying up-to-date on trends means staying current on what is happening on social media forContinue reading "Helping Kids Understand Mindful and Mindless Screen Time"

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Back-to-School and Friendships

It’s back-to-school time, and that means back to friendships too. Making and maintaining friendships can be challenging at times for kids. Given the wide range of social skills in a single classroom, it’s no wonder that friendship struggles unfold. For many kids, the return to school and their social worlds is filled with unknowns. Will their friends stillContinue reading "Back-to-School and Friendships"

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Middle School Stuff #8: Mean and Bullying Behaviors

This series of posts explores the tricky side of middle school. Here’s post #8 – Mean and Bullying Behaviors.  If you missed earlier posts, here are links: #1 – Judgment, #2 – Friendship Changes, #3 – Popularity,  #4 – Crushes & Dating, # 5 – Cliques & Groups, #6 – Gossip and #7 – SocialContinue reading "Middle School Stuff #8: Mean and Bullying Behaviors"

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Middle School Stuff #7: Social Media

This series of posts explores the tricky side of middle school. Here’s post #7 – Social Media. If you missed earlier posts, here are links: #1 – Judgment, #2 – Friendship Changes, #3 – Popularity,  #4 – Crushes & Dating, #5 – Cliques & Groups, and #6 – Gossip. While researching Middle School – Safety GogglesContinue reading "Middle School Stuff #7: Social Media"

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Middle School Stuff #6: Gossip

This series of posts explores the tricky side of middle school. Here’s post #6 – Gossip. If you missed earlier posts, here are links: #1 – Judgment, #2 – Friendship Changes, #3 – Popularity,  #4 – Crushes & Dating, and # 5 – Cliques & Groups. While researching Middle School – Safety Goggles Advised, IContinue reading "Middle School Stuff #6: Gossip"

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Helpful Tips for Family Tech Agreements

Thinking about creating a family tech agreement and looking for tips? A family tech agreement is a set of rules about how devices like smartphones, tablets, computers, TVs, and gaming consoles are used in your home. Besides establishing boundaries for screens, these agreements encourage families to come together and discuss healthy technology use. A familyContinue reading "Helpful Tips for Family Tech Agreements"

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5 Surprising Statistics About Kids and Screens

The technology train has left the station and reshaped childhood in the process. The following statistics illustrate the influence of screens and tech on the daily life of kids. It’s important to note that not all of the statistics are negative. Depending on its use, technology has positive, neutral, and negative effects on the livesContinue reading "5 Surprising Statistics About Kids and Screens"

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Middle School Stuff #5: Cliques and Groups

This series of posts explores the tricky side of middle school. Here’s post # 5 – Cliques & Groups. If you missed earlier posts, here are links: #1 – Judgment, #2 – Friendship Changes, #3 – Popularity, and #4 – Crushes and Dating. While researching Middle School – Safety Goggles Advised, I visited 7th-grade classroomsContinue reading "Middle School Stuff #5: Cliques and Groups"

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Middle School Stuff #4: Crushes and Dating

This series of posts explores the tricky side of middle school. Here’s post #4 – Crushes and Dating. If you missed earlier posts, here are links: #1 – Judgment, #2 – Friendship Changes, and #3 – Popularity. While researching Middle School – Safety Goggles Advised, I visited 7th-grade classrooms and talked with students about schoolContinue reading "Middle School Stuff #4: Crushes and Dating"

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