By Iris Enna |
Winter is the perfect season for cozy peppermint mochas and indulgent hot chocolates, making it the ideal time to explore Kansas City’s top coffee shops.
This article, updated on Jan. 17, 2025, by KC Parent intern (and barista) Iris Enna, now includes the new Cafe Equinox location in Overland Park, highlighting its unique offerings for families.
By Kristina Light |
What Parents Need to Know About Bullying
Parents: This month is National Bullying Prevention Month. This is a campaign that was started in 2006 by PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center. The idea behind the campaign is to raise awareness about bullying and educate people about ways to prevent bullying. Your children’s schools may devote some time this month or throughout the school year to one of the many bullying prevention programs.
Unfortunately, the success rates of these programs are not outstanding. Overall, it appears that there is only a reduction of 18-19% in actual bullying in schools that have anti-bullying programs. However, some programs claim as high as a 70% reduction in bullying. On the other hand, one study indicates that schools that make peer intervention a large part of their bullying program may actually see an increase in bullying and make for worse outcomes for those being bullied. This is because when peers step in to stop bullying, it may make the victim feel powerless in handling the bully and make the victim seem even weaker to the bully.
The Definition of Bullying
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2015), bullying is “unwanted, aggressive behavior among school-aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance” and is repeated over a period of time. Using power to bully may include physical strength or ridicule with intent to control or harm another. And as we all know, there is a newer form of bullying-cyberbullying. This includes sending, posting or sharing negative, harmful, false or mean content about someone else. It can include sharing personal or private information about someone else that causes embarrassment or humiliation. Some cyberbullying crosses the line into unlawful or criminal behavior.
Bullying Is Not a New Problem
Bullying has been around for centuries, from biblical times to the present, and it is seen in such literature as Lord of the Flies-which is required reading in many schools. Nevertheless, before the 1980s, bullying was not considered a serious problem but often part of the rites of passage for children. However, this changed in the 1990s after a string of massacres in schools and the media’s focus on relating these events to bullying. The unfortunate news is that school bullying behaviors seem to be increasing, possibly due to the recent advent of cyberbullying.
Bullying Statistics
Bullying statistics do vary with who is doing the research. Nevertheless, the picture is not pretty about bullying in schools. According to fairly recent statistics from PACER’s National Bullying Center, as many as one in five school children report being bullied. And of this group, more girls than boys are bullied at school. Worst of all, 41% of those who were bullied think it would happen again. It is reassuring to note that 46% of those bullied have notified an adult at school about their being bullied.
The statistics about cyberbullying show a high number of students are bullied online. The most likely place is on YouTube, followed by Snapchat, TikTok and Facebook, in that order. According to some bullying statistics, as many as 42% of students report being bullied online, and 35% say they have been threatened online.
The Legal Responsibility of Schools Concerning Bullying
Thanks to public awareness of the dangers of bullying, states have enacted laws about how school districts should address incidents of both bullying and cyberbullying. However, these laws do vary from state to state. The school districts can work with state agencies to ensure that their policies are up to date. Also, school districts are required by law to submit data on bullying to the U.S. Department of Education so it can be included in civil rights data collection surveys. Besides the legal obligations school districts have in decreasing bullying, failing to do so interferes greatly with student learning.
How Parents Can Handle Bullying
Parents should send questions and comments to DearTeacher@DearTeacher.com, and visit the DearTeacher.com website to learn more about helping their children succeed in school.
©Compass Syndicate Corporation, 2023
As always, please consult your healthcare provider with any questions or concerns.
By Kristina Light |
1. “____ ____ ____. Be Aware. Fires Can Happen Anywhere.” This is the slogan for Fire Prevention Week, Oct. 8-14, teaching the three basic but essential steps to reduce the likelihood of a fire and escape if one occurs. What are the three words?
a) Stop. Drop. Roll. b) Don’t. Yell. Fire. c) Look. Listen. Learn. d) Safety. First. Always.
2. According to TheCandyStore.com, what is the most popular Halloween candy in Kansas?
a) Snickers b) Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups c) Skittles d) M&M’s
3. According to TheCandyStore.com, what is the most popular Halloween candy in Missouri?
a) Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups b) Tootsie Rolls c) Milky Way d) Circus Peanuts
4. The Battle of Westport, sometimes referred to as the “Gettysburg of the West,” was fought on Oct. 23 of what year?
a) 1864 b) 1858 c) 1860 d) 1862
5. Celebrate fall with Snoopy and the gang at Worlds of Fun on weekends in October. It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown debuted on Oct. 27 of this year:
a) 1966 b) 1970 c) 1972 d) 1958
6. The Coterie presents Electric Poe at Union Cemetery Oct. 19-Nov. 5, showcasing three pieces by famed poet Edgar Allan Poe, including “The Cask of Amontillado.” In this poem, a man takes revenge on a friend by:
a) decapitating him b) entombing him within a stone wall in the catacombs c) poisoning him with arsenic d) framing him in a murder
Answer Key:
By Kristina Light |
Olive is an almost three-year-old pit mix. We have had her for about 18 months. She is loving, affectionate and wicked smart. Her circle of trust is small but strong. She is great with other dogs, but strange people are a problem for her, especially men and tall women. I’m looking for suggestions for how to build her confidence around strangers. Her typical behavior with strangers is barking and then hiding. Sometimes she retreats to her crate and won’t come out until strangers leave the house. Thanks for any advice you can offer. We would love her to be more relaxed in these situations. – Jacquie Gering
It sounds like Olive is shy and fearful of new people and needs additional time to acclimate to them. My advice is to be patient and ask others to completely ignore her until she is ready to engage with them. Have them avoid direct eye contact and forced engagement, like petting, when she is not ready. At the shelter we use the slow and low method of meeting shy and fearful dogs by squatting on the ground to make ourselves look smaller, no fast movements and lots of patience. If they don’t want to interact, it’s okay. Ignore them and give them attention when they are ready for it. When they are ready, have the person go slow and pet under the chin and not on top of their head. If Olive starts to cower, bark, lunge, yawn, or growl, then she has mild to significant anxiety, and you should take it slower. For extreme cases, I recommend having an Animal Behaviorist work with you on behavior modification. ‘ Ashley Flores, CPDT-KA
My older beagle scratches, not constantly, but often. Our vet suggested Benadryl, but it’s a battle to get her to take any pill. Is there any home remedy I can try? By the way, our other beagle, who was one of the 4,000 dogs rescued from the Envigo breeding facility and adopted from Great Plains SPCA, is doing well after almost a year with us. – Jim Autry
Thank you for adopting from Great Plains SPCA! I consulted one of our vets for this question and Dr. Dickerson said there are medicated and hypoallergenic shampoos that you can purchase over the counter to see if they could help with her scratching. If those don’t work, there is an injectable option that you should be able to access through your vet if you’re unable to give her pills. For extreme allergies, you can get an allergy test done on your dog to find out exactly what her allergies are. ‘ Ashley Flores, CPDT-KA and Dr. Dickerson, DVM.
I have a three-and-a-half-month-old Bernadoodle puppy. We live in an apartment and I am curious about the best way to potty train her. Thanks so much! – Shelley
I am a big fan of crate training and positive reinforcement, so I recommend purchasing a crate, training her to use the crate for when you aren’t able to supervise her, and rewarding her when she goes to the bathroom outside. Make sure you feed her at the same time every day to get her on a schedule so that you can predict when she will have to go. I like to pick one spot for potty breaks outside so dogs can associate that area with eliminating instead of outside play. Taking the puppy outside every one to two hours and rewarding her every time she goes potty will create good habits. I do not recommend scolding her in the home when she has an accident, as that can set her back. Some people will rub a dog’s nose in the carpet after they have urinated. Dog trainers have found that method to be ineffective and cause delays in potty training. It creates confusion because they don’t realize they are in trouble for having an accident in the home, and associate it with the act of urinating, so puppies will start to hide when going to the bathroom. ‘ Ashley Flores, CPDT-KA
Boba, the coolest boxer mix dog you’ll ever meet. First off, Boba’s got a bit of a unique look with his underbite, which just adds to his charm. But don’t let his appearance fool you; he’s not just a good-looking pup. Boba is super smart and knows all the important commands. He’s a real brainiac when it comes to learning new tricks. Plus, he’s got a heart of gold, especially when it comes to kids. Boba is as sweet as they come and loves playing with children. So, if you’re ever in need of a loyal and fun-loving furry friend, Boba’s your go-to guy. He’s the total package: cute, clever, and caring!
Email askashley@greatplainsspca.org for a chance to have your pet question answered here in KC Parent magazine.
Great Plains SPCA is an independent 501(c)(3) no-kill shelter serving approximately 6,000 animals annually in the Johnson County community. As Kansas City’s premium family shelter, we continue to support the seven municipalities with which we are contracted including Overland Park, Leawood, Lenexa, Shawnee, Lake Quivira, Johnson County Parks and Recreation, and unincorporated Johnson County.
5424 Antioch Drive Merriam, KS 66202
(913) 831-7722(SPCA)
This fun little craft project is perfect to do with little hands indoors on a cold fall day! It’s easy to make super small or super large decorations!
Supplies:
Directions:
Janelle Cumro-Sultzer lives in Manhattan, Kansas, with her husband, three children, two dogs, eight fish and a frog. Janelle is the owner of Flint Hills Mediation LLC and loves to focus on learning through play and getting messy with crafts.
By Lauri Clapper |
Stadium Seat
I love being present at all the things my kiddos are involved in! However, sometimes cheering them on involves my commitment to a hard place to sit for hours on end. I love this lightweight stadium seat’s fabric, cushioning and shoulder strap for carrying. When I actually do sit down from cheering them on, it’s the comfiest spot in the stands! CascadeMountainTech.com
Sobela Ocean Aquarium
Get your tickets and reserve your space in line! This aquarium is fabulous! As we entered, my son exclaimed, “This is so cool!” Kid-friendly displays bring you to be face-to-face with sea life-and give you a chance for hands-on exploration, too! We were mesmerized taking everything in. We loved the sea turtle named Tortellini, the seahorses and the sharks! Our community is so lucky to have this at our Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium! KansasCityZoo.org
Sheets
These sheets won me over with their clean production, buttery softness and delicious color (we have linen). Yet the feature that has me singing their praises come morning is the elastic across the corners that keeps them completely wrapped around the mattress-and still in place when it’s time to make the bed. If you’re looking for a gift, I must rave about the impeccable way these come delivered; truly a treat from packaging to slumbering! PureParima.com
Play Together
Ever want to bring some fun to family life? I love the creativity as well as the intentional bent toward happiness, communication skills and increased emotional intelligence of the games and activities in this book. Most activities are screen-free and can be played in under 10 minutes using materials you already have on hand … or just your imagination! Found at booksellers nationwide and online.
Richard Scarry’s Big Busy Family Wall Calendar
I cannot be the only person who is still entertained by Cars and Trucks and Things That Go. (Have you found Gold Bug on every page?) I have struggled for years to organize our family on a written calendar, and yes, I do like it written and hung for all to see. This calendar is the perfect size for all that I want to include, and I love how it’s organized-not to mention I delight in seeing Richard Scarry’s characters on every page! Amazon.com
Get even more with our weekly eNewsletter—packed with can’t-miss events, exclusive giveaways, and local family fun. Join 51,000+ KC parents who already subscribe!
Sign up for our weekly KC Parent eNewsletter to get the latest local events, giveaways, and family fun—trusted by over 51,000 KC parents!