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…]

Making the commitment to positive parenting is not always as simple as we wish. During times of chaos, stress, and anxiety (for us or our kids), sticking with a positive parenting approach often needs to be a very conscious and deliberate choice. It doesn’t always come naturally! 

That’s why I’m looking forward to the Positive Parenting Conference this year- it’s an opportunity to tune up my skills, hone in on new ideas, and feel supported by the amazing experts involved. One such expert, Natasha Daniels, speaks of a topic near and dear to my own heart in her Understanding Anxiety in Teens Masterclass.

Natasha is a child anxiety and OCD therapist speaking to us on the ideas, tips, and tricks she writes about in her book Anxiety Sucks! A Teen Survival Guide. Natasha has been supporting children, teens and parents for years through private practice and through her writing with a direct, focused approach. The unique thing about Natasha’s book is that while parents will benefit from reading it, the targeted audience is our teenagers. The book is easy to follow; it breaks anxiety down in a simplistic and concrete way that teenagers will benefit from and understand.

As the parent of a child who struggles with anxiety, I appreciate Natasha’s straightforward attitude. As the editor for the AFineParent blog, I was lucky enough to get early access to this informative and insightful masterclass. Natasha will literally transform your entire mindset on anxiety in all its themed forms, from perfectionism to public speaking to social anxiety, in this masterclass. [Read more…]

Is screen time a constant battle in your home? At the upcoming Positive Parenting Conference 2022, be sure to check out the Screen Kids Masterclass.

Based on the book Screen Kids: 5 Relational Skills Every Child Needs in a Tech-Driven World, this masterclass is an interview with Arlene Pellicane, one of the book’s authors. Arlene is a writer and a public speaker, and perhaps most importantly she’s also a mom of three beautiful children. So, Arlene absolutely understands the struggle.

I was lucky enough to be a researcher for this masterclass, and I was deeply impressed with Arlene’s knowledge, empathy, and expert advice. She has a wealth of insight into this topic and has such a friendly, personable way of educating and informing us that it’s easy to walk away with lots of new information and ideas. 

While the Screen Kids Masterclass was packed with ideas, what really stood out to me was the reality check that Arlene gives on the impact of screen time on our child’s brain development, as that’s been a concern of mine since I first started letting my oldest child watch cartoons. Another growing issue in my own household has been anger management (for both my child and myself!), so I was also interested to hear her discuss the connection between screen time and anger management. But equally important to me was Arlene’s emphasis on the importance of books on building attention spans; we’re big readers in this household!  [Read more…]