If you’ve been following along with the past few weeks of mini-series articles to prepare for the 2022 Positive Parenting Conference at AFineParent.com, then you have probably felt the energy leap off your screen! The conference literally has something for everyone, regardless of what your family structure looks like, whom you are parenting with, and how many children you may have.

Take, for example, our next highlighted masterclass expert, Janine Halloran. As the Editor-in-Chief and a writer for AFineParent.com, I was so excited to have early access to the Social Skills Masterclass. Janine is a licensed mental health professional who has been working with children and adolescents for 15 years. She is also the author of Social Skills for Kids: Over 75 Fun Games & Activities for Building Better Relationships, Problem Solving & Improving Communication, which was the inspiration for this masterclass. 

Janine makes the immediate point that all children have different innate levels of social awareness, with some having much more natural social skills than others. As a parent of three very socially different children, this was a relief to hear. Although I am a behavior specialist at a special education school by profession, and social skill diversity is not a new topic for me, feeling “okay” with my own children’s diverse social awareness has always been a different story. 

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Some days, I seem to have endless patience with my kids. I can tell them seven times to put on their shoes without rolling my eyes once. I can look at that spilled cup of water and calmly remind them that we all make messes, but we have to clean them up, too. I can take a break from writing every few minutes to read the same book over and over again.

And other days, I’m one thrown toy or one lost sock away from a complete parental meltdown.

But that’s pretty much all of us, right?

In the Managing Our Triggers Masterclass, author and social worker Dr. Carla Naumburg opens up about her book How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t with Your Kids. She helps us to understand why we get triggered so easily some days, how to try to avoid adult meltdowns, and what to do when we realize we have just lost it—or are still mid-meltdown.

I was a researcher for this masterclass and getting the opportunity to read this book and help shape AFineParent’s interview with Dr. Naumburg was quite a blessing. This book is absolutely packed with information that I found relevant in my own life. As a single parent who works outside the home, I definitely have my days where it doesn’t take much to set me off! This masterclass is full of great ideas from Dr. Naumburg’s book that I have already started implementing in my own life.

Wondering what this book—and this masterclass—is all about? Here are three big takeaways to encourage you to give the whole class a go! [Read more…]

In less than a month, the fantastic and free Positive Parenting Conference 2022 will be available to parents and educators once again! As a member and writer for the AFineParent Academy, I was thrilled to be given early access to the Non-Anxious Parenting Masterclass with Dr. William Stixrud.

Dr. Stixrud is a co-author of What Do You Say? How to Talk with Kids to Build Motivation, Stress Tolerance and a Happy Home.  He is a clinical psychologist, has a doctorate degree in educational psychology and is a faculty member at the Children’s National Medical Center. 

I found this masterclass incredibly encouraging, especially now when child anxiety is at an all-time high. This session will resonate with many parents across the globe as so many of us have been impacted by similar challenges during the pandemic and shutdown that have contributed to increased anxiety. 

In particular, I learned how best to respond when my instinct is to ‘fix’ whatever challenge my children are facing; how to encourage a non-anxious home environment by reducing unintentionally anxiety-inducing questions; and how to put exams into perspective and focus on the importance of living a fulfilled, meaningful life. 

Without further ado, here are my top three takeaways! [Read more…]

Very soon we will have the opportunity to delve deep into the world of positive parenting— that’s right, the Positive Parenting Conference is right around the corner! One really powerful masterclass this year is with Dr. Larry Cohen and focuses on his book The Art of Roughhousing: Good Old-Fashioned Horseplay and Why Every Kid Needs It. 

I imagine many people have a preconceived idea of what roughhousing is and how to do it. “Just wrestle!” Right? Or maybe, “That sounds dangerous.” Dr. Cohen’s grounding and encouraging spirit will not only open your eyes to the many varieties of roughhousing that are possible, but he will also help you prepare for high-quality roughhousing, which (spoiler alert!) is very helpful in raising confident, happy, ethical kids. 

Dr. Cohen, who co-authored the book, is most well-known for his book Playful Parenting, which has been translated into 14 languages and was the winner of the NAPPA Gold Award for parenting resources. He is also a licensed psychologist specializing in child’s play and play therapy; has a private psychotherapy and play therapy practice. So, he really knows roughhousing. 

If you are already a Dr. Cohen fan, this masterclass will take you deeper into his favorite ways to roughhouse with kids. It’ll help support you on your roughhousing journey. If you haven’t yet engaged with Dr. Cohen’s work, this masterclass is a great way to learn all about why you want to start roughhousing with your family right away! [Read more…]