Recently we watched an episode of the television show How I Met Your Father, a loose spin-off of How I Met Your Mother with a similar format. Characters and setting are like twins to the earlier show although some of the characters have different careers – including a wannabe photographer and a fashion stylist. In…
“NOOOO! Not my Skittles!” One Howard County middle school student lamented. “I can’t believe the companies would allow this,” another replied. “But I like Nerds…” another concerned student chimed in. These are just a few examples of the reactions we received when Howard County students in HC DrugFree’s Life Skills Class were shown photos of…
Submitted by a Howard County parent and teacher According to a poll of students in the HC DrugFree Spring 2023 Life Skills class, of the 62% of the students who answered the question “What do yo think influences your decisions the most?” almost HALF said their parents. A little less than half of respondents said peers. What…
On Wednesday, August 31st, Howard County held an International Overdose Awareness event at St.Johns Episcopal Church in Ellicott City to recognize those who have overdosed or been affected by opioid misuse . Many organizations were present. The event offered different resources, including Naloxone Training, an Overdose Response Demonstration, and a Program of Celebration. I represented…
Recently, on Facebook, a friend posted that she was approaching 100 days without alcohol and feeling thankful to have stopped drinking and started living.I was surprised at her post because I’ve known her for more than 15 years, she’s always been extremely responsible in every area of her personal and professional life, and even with…
I am a parent of two college students that grew up in Howard County. Thinking back to their middle school years, opportunities for exposure to life skill building outside of the home environment would have provided an excellent opportunity for additional growth. Such experiences were rare to non-existent in Howard County Public School System (HCPSS)…
I heard an uplifting story on the radio this morning. The DJ was talking about today being the last day of 2020 and asked what one word would describe this year to his listeners? He shared how his daughter used chicken wire and lights to create a sign in their front yard that greeted him…
HC DrugFree’s Guiding Good Choices class has exceeded expectations and we are only 2 classes in. The range of topics covered has been very helpful. While I assumed that it would be a class about telling our kids not to drink alcohol or take drugs, it is much more than that. The class teaches us…
Volunteering at HC DrugFree’s drive-thru Take Back Event during a pandemic was a positive experience. Not only were the staff and other volunteers warm and welcoming, they took the proper precautions to ensure the environment was COVID safe. There were volunteers there doing many different tasks. Students and parents were holding signs and arrows pointing traffic towards…
I just read an excellent article that very clearly lays out the aspects of an adolescent’s life that can lead to minor or major depression and the hope and help available. In my teen years I was fortunate to escape anxiety and depression, but I have danced with both as an adult and I feel…
