Cyberbullying, I am sure with the start of school these past two weeks, you have probably already heard about it. Your teachers have told you the signs to look out for. It’s one of those silent killers. You may never see it coming and then it has a brutal impact on your life as a parent. Here is what we have found in our research, PLUS we are talking about it today on Dads Unplugged at 11am.  I found this list online and wanted to share it with you.

1. Start by talking with your children about their online activities and the dangers of cyberbullying – set their expectations by discussing your views on monitoring their Internet and smartphone use
2. Set up Google Alerts to monitor mentions of your children’s names on the web
3. Friend your children on Facebook and monitor their privacy settings so you are able to view their profile and activity
4. In addition to Facebook, cyberbullies use other social networking sites like Twitter to post hateful messages.  Familiarize yourself with these sites and set up an account to enable you to routinely search what others are saying about your kids
5. Inform teachers if you suspect your child is being cyberbullied.  Teachers are among the first to notice important changes in children’s behavior, and it’s possible the bully may be a classmate
6. Consider implementing parental monitoring software on your home computers and children’s smartphones
7. Many school districts also now use computer monitoring software on all classroom computers.  Check with your school principal, PTA or school board to ensure these tools are in use at your child’s school
8. Prohibit your children from having multiple e-mail addresses, screennames and social networking accounts
9. Prohibit your children from using geolocation tools and apps on Facebook and smartphones
10. Always be observant as your children use electronic communications tools.  Changes in habits, such as frequency and timing of use, mood swings and other indicators, could be a sign that your child is being bullied or a target of other online mischief

If you have experience with Cyberbullying or have had it effect your family, please drop a comment below or listen to the show live and IM us. We would love your input.

Kent and Todd tackled a tough topic today, as many people are asking if kids should play football because of the recent increase in concussions among younger children. The two were on opposite sides of this debate. Plus they delved into other dangerous sports: Motorcycling (which recently claimed the life of a 13 year old) and Soccer (which has a high rate of unreported concussions). How important are sports to kids? What does playing a sport do for them?

Kent and Todd didn’t focus on the bowling, that was bad and got worse as the night progressed at Players. The show on pagatim.fm allowed Dads to talk about their kids and sports, plus what type of role did sports play in their lives when they were young and as they are in the workforce now. Lots of myths were debunked and stories told.

I guess you missed it and did you miss out. Keep your eye out for the LONG version of the time we spent down at Players because I had to edit out a good 15 minutes of great conversation to fit in our 30 minute window. Things that will be in that longer version, Darci (we still don’t believe she actually has given birth to 5 kids), Kent railing on the University of Washington and how they treated his dad, plus  more comments about how one Dad should handle a very troubling athletic situation with his son. We never know what is going to happen at these Dads Unplugged get togethers, but we do know that we will have a great time. Hope you can join us for the next one. Keep your eyes open on the web site, or if you want to be added to our mailing list, send us a note at Comments@pagatim.fm

Dads, it’s time to get out and get together. Why not do it over some bowling! Dads Unplugged hosts events every month and this time we are doing it at a bowling alley, Players in Lake Oswego to be exact. We have 4 private lanes from 8:30-10p on Tuesday, August 24th and if you want to be a part of it, you must RSVP to todd@pagatim.fm. We have just 32 slots, but we would love to have you be a part of it. So, drop Todd an email, inform the wife and bring your balls to Players Bowling in Lake Oswego.

Todd and Kent addressed simple questions: What do you want for your kids future? What profession do you or don’t you want them to go into? How does Lawrence Fishbourne talk to his daughter about her decision to enter the porn industry? How would you handle that? Also, two of the best food carts in Portland.

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Kent and Todd talked about travel. How did our parents survive with all of us in the back? How do we survive with our kids on planes? Kent swears by his philosophy. Todd doesn’t have one, but he does have a 10 hour car trip coming up. They deliver resources, ideas and ask for help as only two Dads can.

Part 2 of the Dads Unplugged Mancave edition focusing on Parents, Kids and alcohol. It’s never an easy topic to tackle, but we are where we came from and each family situation is different. Also, we all have kids who at some time or other will experiment with alcohol, so sharing our experiences could be helpful. Enjoy!

Do you remember your first taste of alcohol? How about the way your parents acted when they had been drinking? Now that you have kids, these are issues you have to or may already have dealt with. Todd and Kent opened up the floor to Dads and how they plan to handle the drinking issue in their own families.

When was the last time you wrote your wife a love letter? Do you have a best friend? Is that relationship beneficial to your marriage? Which male, outside of your dad, played the biggest role in your life? Do you have a vice, and addiction that you want to get rid of? 4 tough questions, 1 easy show. Todd and Kent tackle it all on pagatim.fm.