Positive Parenting for Military Families Archives - Mr. Dad

Eddy Mentzer, Associate Director for Child, Youth and Families.

Topic: DoD child care, child development centers, school-age care, family child care, and community-based care, youth and teen centers and fee assistance child care.

Lynn Marilla, Chief Executive Camper, Eagle Rock Camp.

Topic: Eagle Rock believes in strengthening, encouraging, and supporting our military families who live with the stressors of long term deployment/s and the visible/invisible/and moral wounds of war. They strive to meet all members of our military families at their point of need, using evidence based programs and outdoor recreation to help our families heal in body, mind, spirit, and soul.

Carly Stollicker, Boulder Crest Retreat.

Topic: Boulder Crest provides free, world class, short-duration, high-impact retreats for combat veterans and their families. The goal is to solve the mental health crisis and to heal our military members, veterans, and their families dealing with PTSD and combat-related stress, so they can live productive, fulfilling, and service-oriented lives at home.

Michael Hebb, author of Let’s Talk About Death over Dinner.

Topic: A guide to life’s most important conversation

Issues: A series of several dozen prompts and conversation starters designed to stimulate productive discussions about what for many people are very difficult–yet very important–conversations.

Joseph Trebing, Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management (OACSIM)

Headquarters, Department of the Army; and Dorie Hickson, Program Analyst, Soldier and Family Readiness Division, OACSIM.

Topic: 16 Family Readiness Indicators and what we need to know about Military Family Readiness, evidence from 2007-2017. Download the complete report, “What We Know about Military Family Readiness: Evidence from 2007-2017.”

Lindsay Gill, Executive Director, Luke’s Wings.

Topic: Luke’s Wings is an organization dedicated to the support of service members who have been wounded in battle by providing families with the means to visit during the service member’s hospitalization and rehabilitation.

Donald Moses, coauthor of Raising Independent, Self-Confident Kids.

Topic: Nine essential skills to teach your child or teen.

Issues: When to step in and when to guide from afar; helping kids learn independence skills; developing frustration tolerance and patience; helping kids look within; risks and benefits of technology.

Peter Grady, acting chief of Tricare Health Plan

Topic: An important introduction to TRICARE benefits, how to apply for them, and upcoming changes that you really need to know about.

Andrew Yarrow, author of Man Out.

Topic: Men on the sidelines of American Life

Issues: Masculinity; mating; marriage; the lost boys; online and offline; lost jobs; fathers without children; men’s health.

Laurie Hollman, author of The Busy Parent’s Guide to Managing Anxiety and The Busy Parent’s Guide to Managing Anger.

Topic: Quick, easy-to-implement yet powerful solutions

Issues: Understanding generalized anxiety, panic attacks, OCD, temper tantrums, and excessive anger; how parents can help children and teens master their emotions using a method called the Parental Intelligence Way (which we discuss in detail).

Ryan Craig, author of A New U.

Topic: Faster, cheaper alternatives to college.

Issues: Too many college grads can’t get jobs in the field of their major and end up either un- or under-employed; too many grads have a tough time paying off their student loans; Unique programs where you can pay for your education, but only if you get an appropriate job; online programs and competency marketplaces; many other options for getting the education you want at a price you can afford.

Dana Bowman, author of Perfect Like Me.

Topic: The dangers of striving for perfection in parenting and in life–especially when you’re in recovery.

Issues: How to stop buying self-help books; how to shop at Costco and not give in to despair; how to escape your family; how to be married and content at the same time; what being a recovering alcoholic teaches you about parenting.

Bryna Siegel, author of The Politics of Autism.

Topic: The truths and fictions of public understanding about autism.

Issues: The politics of autism diagnosis; the psychiatric diagnosis industry; autism education and the illusion of inclusion; the right way to educate youth with autism spectrum disorder; the false promise of alternative medicine; the vaccine wars.

Bonnie J. Rough, author of Beyond Birds and Bees.

Topic: A new message about sex, love, and equality.

Issues: Comparing the differences between the ways parents in Holland and the US discuss sex and related topics with their children. When is the right time to talk about sex, gender, love, and relationships?

Christa Santangelo, author of A New Theory of Teenagers.

Topic: Transformational strategies to empower you and your teen.

Issues: Endure emotions; look at the bigger picture; grasp less, let go more; discover your purpose in parenting; heal yourself; work on your own issues.

Jerry Cammarata, author of The Fun Book of Fatherhood.

Topic: Stories from a paternity-leave pioneer.

Issues: What it was like to be the first man to take paternity leave in the U.S.; what’s changed–and, more importantly what hasn’t–in the 45 years since then; advice for dads thinking about taking the leave, and for companies about offering and encouraging it.

Todd Sinett, author of The Back Pain Relief Diet.

Topic: The undiscovered key to reducing inflammation and eliminating pain.

Issues: Inflammation and the cause of back pain; a simple (and cheap) way to test whether your diet could be contributing to or causing your back (and other) pain; best foods for your digestive system; feeling great long term.

Temple Grandin, author of Calling All Minds.

Topic: How to think and create like an inventor.

Issues: A thought-provoking discussion with world-renowned autism exert, scientist, engineer, and inventor about the childhood projects that started her on the road to becoming who she is; the importance of perseverance.

Mark Alyn, host of “Late Night Health” radio show.

Topic: The journey to great health.

Issues: How Mark went from being in terrible pain to being an outspoken spokesman for taking care of yourself; the importance of being your own healthcare advocate; educating yourself about your options;

Joy Marchese, co-author of Positive Discipline for Today’s Busy and Overwhelmed Parent. @PDTweets

Topic: How to balance work, parenting, and self for lasting wellbeing.

Issues: What is positive discipline; how technology affects parenting; effective vs. ineffective parenting; understanding mistaken goals; debunking the myth of the perfect parent (or child); understanding the brain and how it works; overcoming your guilt.

Linda Davidson, Co-Founder and President and Gretchen Hitchner, Director of Communications, Our Military Kids. @OurMilitaryKids

Topic: Grants to military children with a parent who is deployed or recovering.

Issues: This wonderful nonprofit supports children, ages 5-12th grade, of deployed National Guard and Reserve servicemembers and children of wounded warriors from all service branches. Grants pay for participation in activities that help children cope with stress and anxiety while their parents are recovering or absent.

Wendy Mogel, author of Voice Lessons for Parents. @drwendymogel

Topic: What to say, how to say it, and when to listen.

Issues: How your vocal style affects your parenting effectiveness; how a shift in that style can lead to children who are calmer, listen more attentively, and communicate with more warmth, respect, and sincerity; best ways to communicate with children of all ages.

Ashley Broadway-Mack, founding board member and president, American Military Partner Association. @LGBTMilPartners

Topic: Spouses and family of LGBTQ servicemembers.

Issues: The American Military Partner Association is the nation’s largest resource and support network for the partners, spouses, families, and allies of America’s LGBTQ servicemembers and veterans. AMPA has over 50,000 members and supporters and leads the nation in education, advocacy, and support for our modern military families.

Barbara Oakley, author of Learning How to Learn. @barbaraoakley

Topic: How to succeed in school without spending all your time studying.

Issues: The problem with passion; why trying too hard can make things worse; using a tomato to beat procrastination; learning while you sleep and how to wake up smarter; school bags, lockers, and attention; tricks to build memory; learning alone vs in groups; should you listen to music while you’re studying? how your worst traits can be your best.