Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
1
PAGE | 1
IN THIS ISSUE:
5 TIPS TO LESSEN STRESS DURING CHRISTMAS
WINTER HANG TIMES FOR PARENTS
WINTER EVENTS
SERVING CONVERSATION GUIDE
WINTER 2017 PARENT CONNECT WHITE OAK CHRISTIAN CHURCH | [email protected]
2
PAGE | 2
What is the Blue Whale Challenge and How is it Leading to Teen Suicides?
There’s a new viral trend that’s making headlines in the news—and for all the wrong reasons. Unlike some of the viral trends of the past, such as the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, this disturbing trend known as the Blue Whale Challenge does not do any good.
What is the Blue Whale Challenge? This challenge consists of 50 different tasks that online administrators instruct teens to perform. Some of the tasks are innocent, such as drawing a picture of a whale on a piece of paper, but with each day that passes, the tasks become more troubling. Teens are instructed to watch scary videos, poke themselves with needles, and cut themselves before reaching the 50th day of the challenge, when the administrator orders the teen to commit suicide. All of these tasks must be recorded and sent to the administrator, including the final task of committing suicide.
Experts say that teens are being manipulated by administrators of the game, who are referred to as “whales.” These administrators often require the teen participants to communicate with them using Skype or messaging apps. It is through these channels that the administrators begin to groom the teen, spending a lot of time with him and pushing him to do things that he may not be comfortable doing at first. Once the teen agrees to participate in the more innocent tasks early on in the challenge, the administrator starts to introduce them to other dangerous tasks. If the teen does not want to perform a task, the administrator may manipulate him by saying he cannot back out of the challenge. The administrator may even threaten to harm the teen or his family if he does not continue.
This is a common tactic used by sexual predators, and experts now believe it is being used to convince teens that participating in this challenge is a good idea.
The Fatalities of the Blue Whale Challenge Unfortunately, many teens around the world have taken part in this challenge. A 16-year-old girl in Georgia committed suicide after being instructed to do so by her administrator. A second teen suicide case in the U.S. was also recently linked to this challenge, and it’s expected that many other cases will surface if
nothing is done to stop it.
Outside of the U.S., the Blue Whale Challenge has claimed lives in various countries, including Russia, Uruguay, Portugal, Kenya, Italy, and Colombia.
How Parents Can Prevent Tragic Endings
Parents have every reason to worry about their children getting involved in this fatal game. Fortunately, there are ways that you can prevent your children from falling victim to the Blue Whale Challenge.
It’s important for parents to keep an eye out for warning signs that their child is participating in this challenge. If you see marks on your child’s body or find drawings of a blue whale, these are signs that he is completing tasks given to him by one of the game’s administrators. (CONTINUED ON PAGE 8)
The Blue Whale
Chal lenge
3
PAGE | 3
7
PAGE | 7
After Christmas, Join other High School Students and Fusion Leaders for a night at Breakout Cincinnati. December 27th we will meet at WOCC’s Colerain Campus and Carpool to Breakout Cincinnati. Bring $20 + money to eat. This will be a great night of fun and team building for our high school students as we will work together as a team to solve the puzzles at Breakout and compete against other groups. For Questions and to Sign up email Kyle ([email protected])
Colerain Campus Events
8
PAGE | 8
Ross Campus Events
Middle School Madness is a chance for 5th-8th graders to hang out
together. We meet in the Club 56 Room (Teacher’s Lounge) from
9:00-10:00am and 10:30-11:30am
We snack We Chat
(about the Bible and Life)
We play
9
PAGE | 9
THE BLUE WHALE CHALLENGE CONT’D
Parents may want to talk to their children about this game even if they have not shown any warning signs of being involved with it. But this is not a good idea according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. This organization urges parents not to bring up the game unless they have reason to believe that their child is involved with it. Otherwise, talking about it could lead the child to do his own research and become intrigued by it.
Instead of talking about the game, frequently check-in with your child to ask how things are going and if there is anything he wants to talk about. Have open and honest conversations about what is stressing your child out and about his relationships with his friends and classmates.
Parents also should supervise their teens’ online accounts to look for posts that indicate they are involved with the challenge. The administrators often instruct teens to perform dangerous tasks and then upload photos of them to Instagram or other social media
channels. If you see photos that look suspicious, it’s time to intervene. Using TeenSafe software, parents also can keep track of who teens are talking to so they can prevent an administrator of the challenge from making contact with their teens.
If you see any online activity that indicates your child is involved in this game, take action immediately. With every day that passes, your child is one step closer to reaching the 50th day of challenges, which is when he will be instructed to commit suicide. Contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK or the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741-741. These are great resources for parents who need to take quick action to protect their child from falling victim to this challenge.
10
PAGE | 10
Holiday concerts. Last-minute gift shopping. A longer-than-normal list of church and family events. And to top it all off, our teenagers often have mid-December final exams.
I imagine scenes of our family holidays that include fireplaces, pajamas, and relaxed card games together. And yet our reality often looks like rushing to the next event and cramming in late-night runs to Target for the gift that’s needed tomorrow.
Over the years, my husband, Dave, and I have found that less can be more during the holidays. As wechoose better, and choose less, we actually end up enjoying the holidays more and feel more connected as a family.
Choosing better and choosing less can help your family feel more
connected.
1. Shed some traditions. I love traditions, and my husband and kids cherish them even more than me. But over the years, traditions have accumulated. Layer by layer, that great gift-buying ritual we added when our kids became preteens gets added on top of the children’s Christmas book evening we instituted when they were kindergarteners. Eventually, all those rituals start to become suffocating, not life-giving.
So we’ve asked our kids what rituals they care about the most. And we’re cutting most of the rest.
Our weekly hot chocolate, candle-lighting and carol-singing Advent ritual stays. So does driving around our city to check out lights on Christmas Eve. But we’ve cut cookie decorating and making homemade gifts for our neighbors this year. We just can’t do it all.
2. Don’t go to every party. I am an off-the-charts extrovert. I love parties—attending them, hosting them, spreading the word about them. But I also love time at home.
I used to think an invitation to a party meant I automatically needed to attend. Now I’m much more cautious. I say “no” more, and I’m better about dropping by a party for an hour instead of camping out all night. So now when I see an upcoming holiday event on my calendar, I can look forward to it instead of wishing I had an excuse not to go.
3. Buy gifts in bulk.
You might disagree with me here, but I have no problem buying multiple family members the same gift. If there’s a sale on men’s down vests, odds are good that most of the adult males on my Christmas gift list are going to get one. When I buy gifts for the other families in our small group, I usually get them the all the exact same gift. It doesn’t seem like anyone minds, and I have way more peace of mind.
4. Create “draw a name” gift exchanges. On one side of the family, our kids have six cousins. And I have three siblings, all of whom are married. So we often draw names. Each of our kids gets a gift for one cousin, and we adults buy a gift for one sibling. We spend less, buy gifts that are more thoughtful (even in bulk!), and feel like we are stewarding our time and resources better.
5. Serve in meaningful ways. I’ve found that focusing on others—instead of myself—lowers my stress. Our kids have already served this holiday season by funding a Christmas gift for the child in Brazil we sponsor through Compassion International. Lest you be under any illusions, when we first discussed Ticiane’s Christmas gift over dinner, our kids were initially reluctant to devote a portion of their allowance toward it. But then when Dave and I asked our kids to imagine what Ticiane’s Christmas experience would be like compared to their own, they were quicker to open their wallets. Your family doesn’t have to feel compelled to jump on board every service opportunity you’re given this season, but find one or two avenues that are meaningful based on who you are and what you know about your kids already.
I’ll be honest: I’m not sure if our attempt at a “less-is-more” holiday season will work this year the way I’m hoping it will. But somehow writing this list gives me courage—and perhaps a bit more resolve—to work to keep things simple. For the sake of our sanity, and for the sake of the season itself. Choosing less can keep us open to the gifts of generosity, gratitude, beauty, and connectedness we long for.
11
PAGE | 11
12
PAGE | 12
