Positive Parenting for Military Families Archives - Mr. Dad

Dan Mager, author of Roots and Wings.

Topic: Mindful parenting in recovery

Issues: Types of recovery; growing beyond how you grew up; our children are not us; the mind as storyteller; meditation and other mindfulness practices; connecting through communication; reconciling and the limits of love.

Meghan Cox Gurdon, author of The Enchanted Hour.

Topic: The miraculous power of reading aloud in the age of distraction.

Issues: What reading to children does to their brains; reading together strengthens the bonds of love; turbocharging child development with picture books; rich rewards of a vast vocabulary; the power of paying attention; why reading aloud never gets old.

Sarah Granger, author of The Digital Mystique.

Topic: How the culture of connectivity can empower your life—online and off.

Issues: Connecting is just the beginning; managing children’s computer use; managing your own computer use; the importance of actual face-to-face interactions in the digital world; recognizing and overcoming tech addiction.

Andrew Smiler, author of Dating and Sex.

Topic: A guide for the 21st-century teen boy (and his parents).

Issues: Dating and hookups; receiving—and giving—consent; differences in teen sexual behavior between the 20th and 21st centuries; role of the media in shaping expectations about sex.

Ken Keis, author of Quest for Purpose.

Topic: A self-discovery process to find and live your purpose.

Issues: Why meaning comes before purpose; the mindset required to succeed; identifying what you really value; learning what excites and interests you; your core passions; and many more steps that will help you live your purpose.

Allen Klein, author of Secrets Kids Know.

Topic: Enriching your life by viewing it through the eyes of a child.

Issues: 18 ways to think like a child, including: be amazed, be bold, be curious, be joyful, be optimistic, be a napper, be a risk taker, be wise, and more.

Joy Masoff, author of Oh, Ick! and John Austin: author of Labcraft Wizards.

Topic: Making science fun.

Issues: Snot sandwiches, burp factories, and other science experiments guaranteed to gross you out; Dragon eggs, stacking water, and other magical projects and experiments; encouraging girls to get involved in math and science; how scientists and writers collaborate to create engaging, fun activities.

David Henderson, author of My Teenage Zombie.

Topic: Resurrecting the undead adolescent.

Issues: Understanding the nature of a teenage zombie; facing our fears of zombies; face the anxiety of confronting; resurrect your teenage zombie to a life worth living.

Amy Westervelt, author of Forget Having It All.

Topic: How America messed up motherhood—and how to fix it.

Issues: Pioneer women; the industrial revolution; scientific motherhood and modern reproduction; from Rosie the Riveter to the 1950s; second-wave feminism; the fertility-industrial complex.

Diana Graber, author of Raising Humans in a Digital World.

Topic: Helping kids build a healthy relationship with technology.

Issues: What happens when kids are left to their own devices; what it means to be human; offline skills and online life; screen time; relationships; privacy; thinking critically; digital leadership.

Bryn Collins, author of The Toxic Parents Survival Guide.

Topic: Recognizing, understanding, and freeing yourself from difficult relationships.

Issues: The importance of emotions in parenting; what is emotional unavailability; inconsistent parents; parents who make you feel like you’re not good enough; guilt, resentment, and regrets; what emotionally available parents look (and act) like.

Emily Guy Birken, author of End Financial Stress Now.

Topic: Immediate steps you can take to improve your financial outlook.

Issues: Redefining money; economic reasons why we struggle with money; psychological reasons we struggle with money; the difference between reducing financial stress and reducing financial problems; achieving a stress-free financial life.

Maureen Healy, author of The Emotionally Healthy Child.

Topic: Helping children calm, center, and make smarter choices.

Issues: What makes an emotionally healthy child? Three simple steps that have the power to change everything when it comes to emotional health; how children can use their experiences as fodder for positive emotional health; why wholeness is more important than happiness; how children can make smarter choices even if they’re emotionally challenged.

Carl Pickhardt, author of Who Stole My Child?

Topic: Parenting through the four stages of adolescence.

Issues: What is an adolescent? Early adolescence (ages 9-13), which is marked by resistance and conflict, disorganization, and distractibility; Mid-adolescence (13-15), marked by puberty, vulnerability, peers, intense friendships, and social life; Late adolescence (15-18), marked by risk-taking, dating and romance, substance abuse, and the Internet; and Trial independence (18-23), marked by graduation, separation, stress, self-discipline, and independence.

Robert Weiss, author of Prodependence.

Topic: Moving beyond codependence.

Issues: Addiction, empathy, and psychotherapy; what is codependence? Our need to connect; defining and understanding pro-dependence; addiction is an intimacy disorder; creating and living co-dependent relationships.

Kurt Newman, author of Healing Children.

Topic: Stories from the frontiers of pediatric medicine.

Issues: A longtime pediatric surgeon talks about the story of his career and some of the hundreds of children he’s treated; the triumphs and tragedies he’s seen; the revolution taking place in children’s medicine; what children need to thrive in today’s world.

Tech Sergeant Bradley Blair, Real Warriors campaign.

Topic: Real warriors, real battles, real strength.

Issues: Anxiety, depression, resilience, and recovery for military servicemembers and veterans; PTSD; suicide prevention: it’s not just about combat and deployments; mental health resources (1-866-966-1020); military crisis line (1-800-273-8255).

Scilla Andreen, producer of “Angst” documentary, and Steve, Mannie, and Samantha Nimmo, who host screenings of the film in the SF Bay Area.

Topic: The making of a documentary about anxiety, depression, and suicide.

Issues: Recognizing symptoms of anxiety in children and adults; how one family member’s anxiety affects the rest of the family; resources for patients and family members; text the crisis line: 741741; find a screening of the film in your area.

Lee Kelley, Director of Military Community Support Programs for Military Community and Family Policy.

Topic: Military OneSource, Military and Family Life Counseling, and the Spouse Education and Career Opportunities Programs.

Tony Sanders, Jr. author of Daddy Talks.

Topic: Empowering fathers, encouraging children, and equipping families.

Issues: Character; birds and bees; talking to boys and girls; building independence.

Jeremy Schneider, author of Fatherhood in 40-Minute Snapshots.

Topic: Reflections on fatherhood, marriage, and life.

Issues: Essays on pregnancy, raising babies, bonding, parenting challenges, parenting as partners, disagreements, joys, and much more.