Nitzotzos: Inspiration to Keep Your Spark Alive with Rav Mordechai Burg

In our seventh shiur  Rav Burg discusses: 1. The definition of motivation  2. The issues with not responding to a defiant child 3. The issues with using coercive measures when responding to a defiant child 4. Using reasoning and experience to motivate our children.

At the end of the shiur you ought to be able to answer the following questions clearly and concisely:

1. What is the definition of motivation?

2. What is the problem with disregarding defiant behavior?

3. What are the problems that arise from coercing a child into obedience?

4. Explain two methods of motivation (intellectual and experiential).

In our sixth shiur Rav Burg discusses: 1. A parents responsibility to ensure that their child is capable of being another link in the chain of the Mesorah  2. The impact of the environment even at a very young age 3. The challenge of a school system that is not designed to cater to the needs of the individual child 4. A parents responsibility to raise an ethical child who understand that our goal is balanced Middos.

At the end of the shiur you ought to be able to answer the following questions clearly and concisely:

1. If we have hired Rabbeim to teach our children Torah, what exactly is the nature of our responsibility?

2. What was it that made Rav Yehoshua into the person he was?

3. How can we negotiate an educational system that is designed to educate hundreds of children and which may not fit the needs of my child?

4. How do teach our children to have balanced Middos?

In our fifth shiur Rav Burg discusses: 1. Creating healthy dependency in the home.  2. How to elevate a child's self esteem. Tactics include: Praise, Understanding, Role Modeling, Respect, Privacy and much much more.

At the end of the shiur you ought to be able to answer the following questions clearly and concisely:

1. Why do children hold on to their parent's as lifeline's of support?

2. How do we discipline in a fashion that retains the connection between the parent and child but also stops the negative behavior?

3. How can we know what is really bothering our children?

4. What is the difference between praise and flattery? What is the negative impact of flattery?

5. What is the value of giving children a private space?

6. What is the danger in comparing children to their siblings?

7. What is the value in allowing children to make their own decisions (when appropriate)?

8. How can we show a child that we respect their individuality?

9. What is the value in understanding our children when they don't behave as we would want them to?

In our fourth shiur Rav Burg discusses: 1. The various paradigms of children with low self esteem. Thus far we have discussed children who anticipate losing and must avoid it all costs as well as children who feel that nobody can understand them.  2. Parenting the value of the process as opposed to the results. 3. How empathy helps children develop an identity.

At the end of the shiur you ought to be able to answer the following questions clearly and concisely:

In our third shiur Rav Burg discusses: 1. The definition of self esteem. 2. The potential pitfalls of using a moral code to self evaluate. 3. Raising children to strive for completion as opposed to perfection. 4. Signs of low self esteem.

At the end of the shiur you ought to be able to answer the following questions clearly and concisely: 

1. What is the definition of self esteem (define the word self and the word esteem)?

2. What is the system we, as Jewish parents, ought to use to appraise the self?

3. How do we make sure that we are setting appropriate standards?

4. Define shame.

5. How much guilt should we raise our children to have?

6. Define the difference between striving for completion vs. perfection.

7. What are some strategies we can use to teach our children about Teshuva?

8. List some of the signs of low self esteem.

Chazal make it abundantly clear that the Torah of Eretz Yisrael has a unique quality. One that is superior to the Torah of Chutz LaArutz. What exactly is it that makes the Torah of Eretz Yisrael so special? In this Yom HaAtzmaut shiur, delivered on the Yeshiva University Yom HaAtzmaut program, Rav Burg gives an in depth analysis of the purpose of the creation of the world, the unique position of Eretz Yisrael and the Torah that flows from her.

In our second shiur Rav Burg discusses: 1. What can we control when parenting children. 2. Understanding what a child actually is. 3. The role that empathy plays in the development of the child and in the parent child relationship. 4. Some core responsibilities of a parent.

At the end of the shiur you ought to be able to answer the following questions clearly and concisely.

In this first shiur Rav Burg discusses: 1. What are our goals as Jewish parents? Why is important for us to have clearly defined goals. 2. The difference between "having" a child, "raising" a child and "training" a child. 3. The potential pitfalls of goal oriented parenting and how to avoid the traps.

At the end of the shiur you ought to be able to answer the following questions clearly and concisely.

What exactly does it mean that we are in exile?

What exactly does it mean that Mashiach will come and we will be redeemed?

Do I even want redmeption?

In this shiur Rav Burg addresses some of these fundamental questions that will leave you looking forward to the day when Mashiach arrives. May he come speedily in our days.