In the first of our series on parenting wisdom from Hyde Alumni Parents, Laura Main says: “I was willing to do whatever I was asked to help my son, including if it was hanging upside down from the rooftop by rope from my ankles.”  I think most parents feel this way. The family is doing great, is, in fact, a great family, and suddenly things aren’t going so well; perhaps there are struggles between the parents, a separation or divorce; a teen feels they need more independence; a parent feels the child needs more accountability. Whatever the reason, the student, and perhaps the whole family, is not thriving. Laura and Doug share what their parenting was like before sending their son to Hyde, how their parenting changed, and what it’s like now. They admit they learned a great deal about themselves, both as individuals and as parents in The Biggest Job Family Program.

87: Parenting Wisdom from Hyde Alumni Parents: Doug & Laura Main

Do you feel that parenting teens is the biggest job you’ll ever have? 
Are you wondering about how to help your child discover his or her unique potential? 
Are you dedicated to raising a child with character and integrity?
Based on the Hyde School’s philosophy of “parents are the primary teachers and the home is the primary classroom,” this podcast was created to help parents understand just how to put this philosophy in place in the home, and to discover the transformative outcomes that happen in families who implement it.
You will hear from not only experts in the field of raising teenagers, such as educational consultants, authors, and therapists, but also hear from former Hyde parents and students who share their stories of challenges and triumphs on this journey. 
We welcome you to jump in and start discovering some “ah ha” moments and practices you can implement right away to bring your family closer together and raise self-confident teenagers with character who become inspiring adults.

Self-Help

Health

Kids & Family

Health & Fitness

  “It’s About Effort, Not IQ” – Title of Chapter 10: The Sport of School, by Christian Buck There are so many great quotes and teachings in The Sport of School: How to Help Student-Athletes Improve their Grades for High School, College, and Beyond!  that it was hard to choose the one that would catch your eye and make you want to listen to this podcast.  Here are a few more:  “Is our goal to prepare our students for the next four years or the next 40?” “While I am a big proponent of goals, I am a greater proponent of a clear vision.” “True change on the part of your student involves change for you as well, and the recognition that ultimately your student must make the decision to motivate himself or herself.”  Sound familiar? Christian Buck left a career on Wall Street, got an advanced degree in sports psychology and now works with students to help them see that school can be approached the same way they approach sports in their lives: with vision, goals and hard work. There’s great advice here for parents wanting to help their kids in the same way. www.ChristianBuck.com; on Twitter @CBuckconsulting

Podcast 98: Christian Buck: The Sport of School

Would you, as a parent, buy your kid’s way into college?  Signe Wilkinson, cartoon du jour TOON14, Admissions Scam "Here at Hyde School, we want kids to do the honorable thing without thinking about it." Malcolm Gauld, Director, The Hyde Institute Malcolm has been a teacher, coach and head of school at Hyde School; he is currently Director of The Hyde Institute, an organization established to take Hyde’s unique approach to family-based character education to other schools in the nation. He was not surprised to learn that some parents would buy their student’s way into college; but he was surprised by the extent of it. “The parents have deprived their children of a very important rite of passage; the college application is the first time that an 18 year old takes their credentials into the world to see what the world says. Parents need to see how their children handle that.’ In this podcast, we look at how the lack of integrity on the part of many people involved in the admissions cheating contributed to the outcome. Read Malcolm's blog article, "Personal Character > College Prestige" on the subject.

95: Malcolm Gauld: Integrity Amid the College Admissions Scandal

  Eric Karlan, Creative Commons license, image has been cropped  “What Do I Need to Know About You?”  is Eric Karlan’s favorite question to students. Eric Karlan is co-owner of an organization called Ivy Experience, which helps students prepare for ACT and SAT testing, write college essays and complete college applications. Don’t let the name of his company fool you into thinking that he only helps students interested in Ivy League Schools; he helps students and families interested in ANY school. He wants to know how a student is engaged in the world, and helps them find their unique story – what sets them apart – what their values and quirks are, and the obstacles they’ve overcome. He asks the question, “What do I need to know about you?” because he believes that sharing one’s authenticity and passion is the most important part of helping students get to the right topic for their college essay.  “What is an admissions officer?” Eric asks; “He or she is a person; and people accept other people.”   Eric’s website is www.ivyexperience.com He has an enlightening Ted Talk at:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTUjyf18XL8&t;=8s 

91: Eric Karlan: What Do I Need to Know About You?

 Can students achieve more by doing less in college? “YES!” says Kyle Winey, college productivity expert, in his book, Hackiversity: The Secrets to Achieving More by Doing Less in College.  When I read the title of this book, my first thought was, “Is this guy going to tell kids and parents that you really don’t have to study in college?” What I found out was the opposite.  Kyle’s recommendations are:  Achieve Self-Awareness by finding your passion, your strengths, your purpose and figuring out what lifestyle you want. Maximize Your Marketability through your college selection, the megatrends out there today, the selection of your major, your grades, internships, networking and your character (which he calls non-negotiable skills).  “Hacking college isn’t meant to show you all of the ingredients involved with college success,” says Kyle. “It’s to help identify the few elements that rocket you toward success faster and with less effort.” Our podcast conversation with Kyle gives you glimpses into Kyle’s premise and philosophy, which I think you’ll find fascinating. You can learn more about Kyle and HACKiversity at www.hackiversity.com. In addition to HACKiversity the book, Kyle's HACKiversity Project features a college selection tool designed to generate a list of colleges that are right for you, based on your location, grades, and budget.

89: Kyle Winey: Hackiversity: The Secrets to Achieving More by Doing Less in College

“I learned that I had to be consistently patient and patiently consistent in my parenting.”  Dennis Cavalli, Hyde Alumni Parent Dennis and Claire Cavalli went through The Biggest Job Parent program almost ten years ago at Hyde School, but they are still using what they learned. “I was just going through the motions of living my life,” says Claire; “I was doing what I thought I should do, or what the books said.” In this is podcast, you’ll find out how the parent program helped them change as individuals and as a couple; how this change helped their son; and how people in their community are now coming to them, seeking help.

87: Parenting Wisdom from Hyde Alumni Parents: Doug & Laura Main

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