Amy Tiemann “Beyond Stranger Danger” on WRAL.com

We had a great response to this week’s talk “Safe Kids in an Uncertain World”–almost 50 people turned out in Raleigh to hear my foundational talk about how to become your child’s most powerful safety advocate. This group had particularly dynamic energy and questions, and I appreciated the reporting on WRAL.com by Sarah Lindenfeld Hall. I finally got coverage that says “Beyond Stranger Danger: How to Talk to Your Kids.” So often, the headline just... Read more

Martin Luther King’s courage and vision

Dr. Martin Luther King’s courage and vision seem even more vital this year. Since he died in April 1968, before I was born, truthfully it has always been difficult for me to see him as anything other than an historical icon. But this year, as we as a nation are still mourning the recent shootings in Tuscon, somehow that tragedy has made Dr. King’s courage to stand up for his vision of a better society seem even more real–remembering that he was a minister, a father, a... Read more

Doing Right by Our Kids and WHY we need Child Safety at All Levels of Society

Introducing Doing Right by Our Kids, a new research project from Dr. Amy Tiemann and Irene van der Zande that explores strategies and skills for “Protecting Child Safety at All Levels of Society.” When my co-author Irene van der Zande and I step back to look at the entire field of child safety, it is so immense that it can be hard to know where to start. So we are going to take the advice of leadership expert and TEDx speaker Simon Sinek and Start with Why. As Simon teaches,... Read more

“Tiger Mother” controversy: If this isn’t abusive perfectionism, what is?

Amy Chua’s new memoir about raising her two daughters The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother burst onto the scene this week in a big way, with the excerpt posted in the Wall Street Journal, under the headline “Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior.” Even if she didn’t write that provocative headline, Amy Chua’s strong words evoked a strong response, creating an instant media firestorm (and selling a lot of books): A lot of people wonder how Chinese parents raise such stereotypically... Read more

Jared Loughner shooting: how did the system fail?

As details emerge about alleged shooter Jared Lee Loughner, who opened fire at Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords’ community event in Tucson, the tragedy paints an emerging picture of a failed system that needs to work beyond individual action. This situation is particularly tragic because it seems as though enough was known to prevent this mass shooting. I think about the anti-terrorism message, “If you see somthing, say something.” And in Doing Right by Our Kids, we are... Read more