The Role of Caring Adults in Establishing Boundaries
"Boundaries" are the limits that define one person as separate from another or from others. A boundary promotes and preserves personal integrity. Boundaries give each person a clear sense of self and how to function in relation to one another. They are unique to each individual and are based on perceptions, personal histories, values, goals, and concerns. Our individual boundaries are formed largely in reaction to the amount and type of attention we get from our parents from other influential adults in our lives.

Self Esteem in Children
It seems that low self esteem is the number-one answer given as a root cause to most given problems that an adult may face. Bookstores are filled with guides, manuals, and how-to books focused on the subject. Now there are many books and articles centered on low self esteem in children. Recently, several parents have approached me and asked questions about improving their child's self esteem. In this article and the one that follows, I have listed some very practical information that will assist parents, teachers, and counselors in helping children to build up their self esteem and allow them to have a solid foundation for a strong character.

Forgiveness and Reconciliation
The articles I write that receive the most comments and feedback are those with the theme of forgiveness. I often receive requests to keep addressing the issue, and each time I do the "arrows fly by day, and darkness fills the night." People's reactions are sometime severe and hurtful, which often causes me to shy away from any attempts to write further. It can also become a difficult topic to address in awareness sessions.

EEOC Assistance with ADA-Compliance and H1N1 (Swine Flu) Preparedness
The specter of pandemic swine flu (the H1N1 influenza virus) has workplace implications that will strongly influence compliance with several laws. This article highlights some of the EEOC's recently posted employer assistance recommendations for managing Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance in the face of rampant influenza.

Standards of Behavior
It's an old line... a very, very old line: If your friends went and jumped in a lake, would you do it too? Every adult has heard it at some point in their youthful past, and, it usually comes in response to the eternal teenage lament, "But all my friends are doing it/wearing it/listening to it/etc." However, the truth is our young people, in their many efforts to express their individuality, often get their ideas from each other. It is ironic of course, but it is also common adolescent behavior. "I want to express myself, so I'm going to do what all my friends are doing because its cool." It would be patently humorous if most of us had not been exactly the same way. (Admit it.)