Unlocking potential for Millennials - there's a financial app for that

#UnlockedMe #Nedbank

The Eldest is part of the Millennial generation. The generation that demands things to be uncomplicated and at their fingertips. The generation who expects more, and gets more! The Nedbank Unlocked.Me offering promises to help them in this quest. Unlocked.Me is is the result of an intensive process of consultation with young people across the country.

I wish we had this offering when she was a student. We discovered to our horror that she was paying more for her banking services than I was paying at that time. She had a student account, and you would have thought that she would pay less for transactions, but NOT. It was much much more! We were also caught in the catch-22 of getting a student loan: We had to get money to register, but they only made the money available after we supplied them with the registration papers.

Kindness Online

I am a subscriber to the Screenagers Movie newsletters. I haven't seen the movie yet, but I definitely want to in the future. It is a movie that all parents should watch. The impact of screens on our children's lives are not yet fully understood, and the consequences will only be comprehended much later... We hope it won't be too late. See the trailer below.

As much as I am an advocate for the use of technology and how much it is enhancing our lives, I am also aware that we should control this tool and not the other way round!

The latest newsletter is about encouraging small acts of kindness online! As it is the month of kindness, and kind is my word of the year, I love this idea! Sometimes you don't know how to be kind! Is it only the money I give at the robot (traffic light), or are there other ways in my daily life to be kind?  How do I teach my children to be kind online?

iSchool giving Young SA a Voice to speak out against gender based violence #endGBV

iSchool partnering with UNICEF 

The iSchool Press Team is an ongoing programme that aims to give YOUNG SA A VOICE.
The iSchool Press Team train, mentor and support media clubs in schools across South Africa - with approximately 200 active young teen journalists.   The youth gets a platform to share their opinions on issues close to their heart.

iSchool Press Team partnered with UNICEF on an inspiring campaign to have the youth of South Africa speak out to end violence against children.

Students are challenged to create a two minute video on one (or all) of the following topics:
(The winner in each topic will win an iPad Mini 16GB.)

 -  I can change gender based violence by…
-  This is my story and why I want to tell it
 -  Let’s speak out against gender based violence
                                                        - Campaign info

Each school will receive information packs, resources and support throughout the campaign to create powerful, impactful videos.  Teams will also be invited to a workshop hosted by award winning director, Ingrid Martens (Africa Shafted: Under one roof).


One of the videos submitted



Website: iSchool Press Team & UNICEF
Facebook: iSchoolAfrica
Twitter: iSPT

Check out the hashtag #endGBV to see more of the submissions.
The call to action videos are also available here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOaB2BuWhQ7xwT2nmkrklhSk18nyONwuR

Why it is not okay for under 18's to drink #SAB18Plus AND win an experience voucher with your teen

The South African Breweries (SAB) launched a new responsible drinking campaign called 18+

I am one of the parents that think it is okay to sometimes pour a little bit of the wine for the teens as well. As teen growing up we always thought it was gross, and my Teen also did not like the taste of wine. Maybe we were just lucky?

Apparently it is not a good idea!
Parenting fail! (*insert red face*)


Why it is not okay!

No one under 18 should be drinking alcohol and it is up to us to stop our denial about the situation and do something about it.

• 1 in 2 teenagers in the average South African home is a user of alcohol.

• Yet the vast majority of parents think their teenagers don’t drink

• Around 15% of boys and 8% of girls said that they’d had their first drink before age 13

• People who begin drinking before the age of 15 are four times more likely to become alcohol dependent than those who have their first drink at age 20 or older

• Teens that use alcohol are three times more likely to be involved in violent crime

• 67% of teens who drink before the age of 15 will go on to use illegal drugs

The U.S. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) stated in a 2010 publication that most studies show the benefits from allowing children to drink in the home or controlled environment are non-existent. In the same report, NIAAA cites a 1997 article from the Journal of Substance Abuse that says that starting to drink earlier increases the chances of developing alcohol problems.

We need to start the conversation amongst South Africans, raising the following points:

• It is not okay to give your teenager a drink so you can “control it” 

• It is not okay to send your child to the local tavern to get alcohol for you;

• It is not okay to take your child to a pub with you;

• It’s not okay to do nothing when you see teenagers drinking; and

• It’s not okay for alcohol to be a taboo subject that we don’t discuss with our children.

One reader of this blog can win an experience voucher with your teen to use anywhere in South Africa and you have a choice of over 200 activities. Valued at R500!

The purpose of the voucher is for you and a teenager to do something you love together. While you are bonding, this is a good time to open the channels of communication and discuss underage drinking with them.

1. Please leave me a comment about what you think about underage drinking?

2. Copy and tweet the following to get another chance to win this experience.

Why it is not okay for under 18's to drink @SABreweries & Win an experience with your teen via @karentoittoit #SAB18Plus http://bit.ly/1ADJAzv

I will notify the winner next Friday 8 August at 9am.


Twitter: @SABreweries and #SAB18Plus
To add a 18+ Twibbon to your Facebook / Twitter profile: http://twibbon.com/Support/sab18plus

For the latest 18+ news, follow on:
http://www.sabstories.co.za/alcohol-issues/sab18plus/ 


Photos: The two 18+ ambassadors: Melanie Bala and Robert Marawa

Officially unemployed

The last matric paper was written yesterday!
Finished! Done! Final! Never again!

"Ma skryf matriek" has come to an end!

The last day of school clothes!
The end of an era!
The closing of a chapter!
The reaching of a gynormous milestone!

(It is a bit sad! For me!)

My daughter is moving on!

They have a joke going around that they are now "officially unemployed"!

But she is sorted for next year! Can I call her a "student" now?

The registrations for university has been done! The first payments (ouch!) have been done!

She is on her way...

I am so proud and so happy for her!

It happened so quickly!
(Much too soon for this mother...)



Photo: Patrick Pretorius at Photostyle.