Positive Parenting for Military Families Archives - Mr. Dad

Anne Moody, author of The Children Money Can Buy. @authorannemoody

Topic: Stories from the frontlines of foster care and adoption.

Issues: Who are foster parents and children; the dysfunctional foster care system; terminating (or not) parental rights; agency adoption; home study process; why adoptions is often the best option—and why the system keeps so many children from being adopted; the role of money in keeping children in foster care.

Sue Matthews, coauthor of Paint Your Hair Blue.

Topic: Celebrating life and hope in the face of pediatric cancer.

Issues: An empowering memoir by a mother who lost her 16-year-old daughter to cancer. The book includes support and specific advice for other parents confronting cancer as well as anyone going through cancer diagnosis or caring for someone who is.

Julie Wright, coauthor of Now Say This.

Topic: The right words to solve every parenting dilemma.

Issues: Three steps for communicating in difficult moments; handling difficult feelings and tantrums; listening, following directions, and engaging cooperation; hitting, pushing, biting, and other physical behaviors; sibling relationships; screen time, bedtime and sleep.

Rebecca Fox Starr, author of Beyond the Baby Blues. @Mommyeverafter – Instagram: mommyeverafter

Topic: Anxiety and depression during and after pregnancy.

Issues: Recognizing prenatal depression and anxiety (called “prenatal distress”); why prenatal distress is so rarely diagnosed; what women suffering from prenatal distress need to do; what dads and others can do to help; the connection between prenatal distress and postpartum depression.

Darin Ingels, author of The Lyme Solution. @lymeexpertND – Instagram: dariningelsnd

Topic: How to fight Lyme’s inflammatory auto-immune response and beat the disease.

Issues: A five-part plan to: fortify your gut health and restore the immune system; follow a diet that increases immunity and reduces inflammation; thwart and target an active infection; identify hidden toxins that worsen Lyme symptoms; improve your lifestyle to stimulate and perpetuate healing.

Liza Hanks, author of Every Californian’s Guide to Estate Planning. @NoloLaw – Instagram: nololaw

Topic: What you need to know about wills, trusts, and everything else—regardless of where you live.

Issues: What’s in an estate plan and why you need one; wills; living trusts; choosing a guardian for minor children; leaving money to children; estate planning for blended families; death and taxes; naming beneficiaries for retirement accounts and life insurance; finding a lawyer; keeping your plan up to date.

Christopher Plamp, Interim CEO, Hire Heroes USA.

Topic: Helping veterans find jobs in the civilian workplace.

Issues: Challenges faced by separating veterans (resume prep, interview prep, learning to talk about self instead of the team, etc.); differences between civilian and military workplaces; challenges faced by female vets; much more.

Gail Gross, author of The Only Way Out Is Through. @DrGailGross – Instagram: drgailgross

Topic: The journey from grief to wholeness.

Issues: Grief as a path to healing; courage and choices; the mourning process; the meaning and role of guilt; surrendering to the grieving process; reviewing your personal life and the patterns you’ve created; relationships—marriage, family, siblings, and others; back to life.

Cindy Simerly, VP of Fund Develoedment, Military Child Education Coalition. @MilitaryChild ‏- Instagram: militarychild_mcec

Topic: Educational challenges faced by children in military families.

Issues:

How deployments and frequent PCS moves affect children; working with civilian schools to help them understand the needs of military kids; helping parents help their children; peer-to-peer support; scholarships; and much more.

Ned Johnson, co-author of The Self-Driven Child. @TestPrepGeek

Topic: The science and sense of giving your kids more control over their lives.

Issues: Why a sense of control is such a big deal; parents as consultants; kids as decision makers; how to help kids find a sense of control by finding your own; help kids develop inner motivation; the importance of downtime (including sleep); taming technology; exercising brain and body; taking the sense of control to school.

Kelly Hruska, government relations director, National Military Family Association. @military_family – Instagram: nationalmilitaryfamily

Topic: Resources for military families.

Issues: National Military Family Association provides resources and support for military families dealing with adoption, deployment, special needs children (and adults), financial challenges, marriage, divorce, employment/career challenges, and much more.

Susan Wise Bauer, author of Rethinking School. @SusanWiseBauer – Instagram: susanwisebauer

Topic: How to take charge of your child’s education.

Issues: Understanding why traditional graduation requirements and standardized testing may not be necessary for a child’s future success; how to negotiate the 12-grade school system in a way that nurtures and protects your child’s mind, emotions, and spirit.

Dr. Sally Zoll, CEO of United Through Reading. @UTR4Military – Instagram: utr4military

Topic: The benefits of reading–to the reader and the child.

Issues: Servicemembers who read aloud to their children are less stressed during deployments; children whose deployed parent records him/herself reading a story cope better with deployment and have fewer behavioral and other problems; United Through Reading’s programs around the world.

Sheryl Ziegler, author of Mommy Burnout. @DrSherylZiegler – Instagram: dr.sherylziegler

Topic: How to reclaim your life and raise healthier children in the process.

Issues: What mommy burnout looks (and feels) like; the connection between mommy burnout and isolation; the social media mommy trap; the connection between burnout and the need to achieve perfection; how burnout puts marriages at risk; the working mom’s dilemma; much more.

Jessica Tyson, model supervisor, Focus Program.

Topic: Resilience training for military families.

Issues: Practical skills to help families and couples overcome common challenges related to military life; Building on current strengths and learning new strategies to enhance communication and problem solving, goal setting, and creating a shared family story; much more.

Lauren Smith Brody, author of The Fifth Trimester. @Laurensbrody – Instagram: thefifthtrimester

Topic: The working mom’s guide to style, sanity, and success after baby.

Issues: Who’s taking care of your little person? Getting through “I have to quit.” Looking human again (on beauty and style); feeling human again; keeping your expectations (of yourself and others) reasonable; the whole 50/50 partnership thing; mastering your new time “off.” More info and resources at http://www.thefifthtrimester.com/

Eddy Mentzer, Associate Director for the Family Readiness and Well-Being directorate in the Office of Military Family Readiness Policy within Military Community and Family Policy. @DoDMilSpouse – Instagram: dodmilspouse

Topic: Military Spouse Employment Partnership

Topic: Helping military spouses find and keep employment.

Issues: Challenges faced by military spouses (portability and transferability of licenses and certifications, anti-military bias, etc.); differences between male and female military spouses when it comes to employment issues; the Military Spouse Employment Partnership; resources available to military spouses; The upcoming Virtual Military Spouse Symposium, May 21-24, 2018

Suhas Kshirsagar, author of Change Your Schedule, Change Your Life. @doctorsuhas – Instagram: drsuhashi

Topic: How to harness the power of clock genes.

Issues: Optimal times to eat, sleep, exercise, and more to lose weight, optimize your workouts, get more rest, and improve performance at home and at work.

Allison Carmen, author of The Gift of Maybe. @giftofmaybe

Topic: Finding hope and possibility in uncertain times.

Issues: Reducing stress and anxiety; viewing uncertainty as a place of hope; creating more opportunities in life; minimizing self-doubt as an obstacle to moving forward; finding joy in the moment.

Stuart Shanker, author of Self-Reg. @StuartShanker

Topic: How to help your child (and you) break the stress cycle and successfully engage with life.

Issues: Why our ability to thrive depends on being able to self-regulate; the difference between misbehavior and stress behavior; why or emphasis on will power and self-control is not only misguided, but actually counter-productive; how kids feed off our stress and we feed off theirs; the link between behavior and energy.