Positive Parenting for Military Families Archives - Mr. Dad

Terry Vaughan, author of Not with My Daughter.

Topic: A dad’s guide to screening dates and boyfriends

Issues: Establishing rapport; recognizing behavioral signals and speech patterns that indicate what’s someone’s thinking; putting a prospective date at ease; earning your daughter’s trust; dealing with jerks.

Doug French, author, writer, blogger, speaker, entrepreneur.

Topic: The emergence of the dad blogger; conversations between brands and dads; giving back to others; dad2.0 summit (in San Francisco February 19-21, 2015).

Ken Keffer, co-author of The Truth About Nature.

Topic: Common myths about the great outdoors.

Issues: Do birds really sing because they’re happy? do bees really die after they sting you? to tornadoes always turn clockwise?; Do bulls always attack the color red? Many other myths and falsehoods.

Lynn Brunelle, author of Mama Gone Geek.

Topic: Using your inner science nerd to help navigate the ups and downs of parenthood.

Issues: Playing with fire; electricity from lemons; nose flutes and armpit farts; raising lice; creating homemade washable body paint; dancing paperclips; growing your own germs; yummy homemade deodorant.

Julie Wright, co-author of The Happy Sleeper.

Topic: A science-backed guide to helping your baby get a good night’s sleep

Issues: Babies already know how to sleep—parents don’t need to “train” them; how to be sensitive and nurturing, but also clear and structured so babies and young children can develop the skills to self-soothe, fall asleep independently, through the night, take healthy naps, develop natural sleep patterns for day and night.

Kenneth Ginsburg, author of Building Resilience in Children and Teens.

Topic: Giving kids roots and wings

Issues: The effects of stress and how to foster resilience; grit: the character trait that drives performance; building competence and confidence; the importance of connection, character, and contribution; coping with difficulties and taking care of oneself; increasing kids’ sense of control and independence.

Elly Taylor, author of Becoming Us.

Topic: Growing a family that thrives.

Issues: How to prepare for parenthood before actually becoming a parent; build a nest; managing expectations; knowing and understanding your family’s needs; expand your emotional intelligence; connecting and reconnecting with your partner through intimacy.

Alaina G. Levine, author of Networking for Nerds.

Topic: Find, access, and land hidden game-changing career opportunities everywhere

Issues: How and why we should connect with others; overcoming shyness (our own—and helping our kids overcome theirs, too); how to start—and end—conversations with others (and how to give our kids the skills to do the same).

Deborah Kahn, author of The Roads Taken.

Topic: Complex lives of employed and at-home mothers.

Issues: Is there an ideal work status? why do mothers change–or not change–their work status? can we really have it all? who gives us support? advantages and disadvantage of working or being at home; where do we go from here?

Louise Greenspan and Juliana Deardorff, co-authors of The New Puberty.

Topic: How to navigate early development in today’s girls.

Issues: Why girls are developing earlier and what it means for their long-term health; things that can trigger early puberty (excess body fat, hormone-mimicing chemicals, emotional stressors at home); strategies to help prevent and/or manage early puberty.

Mary Ostyn, author of Forever Mom.

Topic: What to expect when you’re adopting.

Issues: Navigating the difficult road to adopting a child; preparing your other children for new siblings; help babies, toddlers, and other children settle in; address misbehavior while remaining connected; dealing with cultural difference; nurturing your marriage throughout.

Ashley Wellington, author of Admissions Essay Boot Camp.

Topic: How to write your way into the elite college of your dreams.

Issues: Identifying your student “type”; brainstorming and other exercises; creating outlines and drafts; making your essay unique; how to handle tough topics; what topics to stay away from and why.

Jay Scott Fitter, author of Respect Your Children.

Topic: A practical guide to effective parenting.

Issues: Getting out of bad communication ruts with your kids; why giving advice rarely works—and what to do instead; best and worse ways to deal with negative behavior; how to help kids learn good values without lecturing; getting kids to do the right thing without punishing them.

Daniel Siegel, author of No-Drama Discipline.

Topic: Calming the chaos and nurturing your child’s developing mind.

Issues: how to identify your discipline philosophy; best ways to communicate the lessons you want to teach; facts on brain development and what kind of discipline is appropriate for each age; how to calmly and lovingly connect with a child—no matter how extreme the behavior; navigating your child through tantrums; discipline mistakes we all make.

11/21/14

Carla Naumburg, author of Parenting in the Present Moment.

Topic: How to stay focused on what really matters.

Issues: What truly matters in parenting (connecting with our children, staying grounded amidst the craziness of life; and being as present as possible); using mindfulness to create a solid foundation for any style of parenting.

Bonny Forrest, author of Will My Kid Grow Out of It?

Topic: A child psychologist’s guide to understanding worrisome behavior.

Issues: Common concerns and possible diagnoses; even babies get the blues; does my child have autism spectrum disorder? Does my child have ADHD? Sad or clinically depressed? Eating disorders; when to get help and whom to turn to.

Karen Bonnell, author of The Co-Parents’ Handbook.

Topic: Raising well-adjusted, resilient, and resourceful kids in a two-home family

Issues: Building a mutually respectful co-parenting relationship; keeping children at the forefront while protecting them from adult conflict and concerns; helping children build resilience and competence in the face of family change; successful strategies and protocols for living in a two-home family.

Dale McGowan, author of In Faith and In Doubt.

Topic: How religious believers and nonbelievers can create strong marriages and loving families.

Issues: Negotiation tips to set the stage for harmonious relationships; dealing with pressure from extended family; helping kids make their own choices about religious identity; handling holidays, churchgoing, baptism, circumcision, religious literacy.

Ken Keis, author of Why Aren’t You More Like Me?

Topic: The secrets to understanding yourself and others.

Issues: Why certain kinds of people irritate you—and what you can do about it; increase team compatibility and leadership effectiveness; stop feeling offended and emotionally hooked; select the right job style for yourself; understand and encourage your spouse and children.

Neal Pollack, author of Alternadad.

Topic: The wonders, terrors, and idiocy of parenting today.

Issues: How today’s young parents are different from those of previous generations; how unorthodox parents are becoming the mainstream; maintaining your pre-baby life after becoming a parent.

David Walsh, author of No.

Topic: Why kids of all ages need to hear it and ways parents can say it.

Issues: Do your children suffer from Discipline Deficit Disorder? Saying NO in a YES culture; three myths about self-esteem; why letting kids feel bad sometimes is a good idea; consequences of giving kids everything they want.