Tantrums, meltdowns, hitting, biting, and other problematic behaviors can be exhausting and worrisome to parents. In this conversation, Dr. Delahooke will share how we need to change our perspective from seeing these behaviors as willful and intentional. And instead, see them as children's response to the activation of their stress system. She describes how our children's nervous system influences their stress levels and how we can detect stress in their bodies. Dr. Delahooke provides tips on how we can nurture children's nervous system to reduce or eliminate problematic behaviors.  

Dr. Mona Delahooke is a licensed clinical psychologist with more than thirty years experience caring for children and their families. She is a senior faculty member of the Perfectum Foundation and amember of the American Psychological Association. She is the author of Beyond Behaviors: Using Brain Science and Compassion to Understand and Solve Children’s Challenges and she recently published the book Brain-Body Parenting: How to Stop Managing Behavior and Start Raising Joyful, Resilient kids. Mona is a frequent speaker, trainer, and consultant to parents, organizations, schools, and public agencies. She lives and works in the Los Angeles area.

Tantrums, meltdowns, and misbehavior seem to be the norm in our families. But does it really have to be that way? Does parenting have to be challenging and overwhelming? The commonplace parenting in many western nations is quite different from other parts of the world. Helicopter parenting, snowblower parenting, and other forms of parenting that inhibit our children's independence, confidence, and autonomy are not pervasive in other places in the world. In this talk, Michaeleen shares how families from traditional societies raise confident, cooperative, and emotionally intelligent children without using rewards, punishment, withdrawal of privilege, and micro-management. She describes how parenting relationships in these cultures are grounded in cooperation rather than control and fear.  

Michaeleen Doucleff, PhD, is the author of the New York Times bestseller Hunt, Gather, Parent. The book describes a way of raising helpful and confident children, which moms and dads have turned to for millennia. It also explains how American families can incorporate this approach into their busy lives. Doucleff is a global health correspondent for NPR’s Science Desk, where she reports on  disease outbreaks and children’s health. She has a doctorate in chemistry from the University of Berkeley, California, and a bachelor’s degree in biology from Caltech.

Website

Our children and teens are more anxious, depressed, insecure, emotionally fragile, and less resilient than previous generations. In our conversation, Erica discusses the influence of the quality of the mother-child relationship and the importance of the two critical periods of childhood development impact on emotional well-being. She also discusses the importance of attachment styles on children’s development and provided tips on building and maintaining a healthy relationship with our children. 

ERICA KOMISAR, LCSW is a clinical social worker, psychoanalyst, and parent guidance expert who has been in private practice in New York City for over 30 years. A graduate of Georgetown and Columbia Universities and The New York Freudian Society, Ms. Komisar is a psychological consultant bringing parenting workshops to clinics, schools, corporations, and childcare settings. She is a contributor to The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and The New York Daily News. She is also a Contributing Editor to The Institute for Family Studies and appears regularly on Fox and Friends and Fox 5 News. Erica is the author of Being There: Why Prioritizing Motherhood in the First Three Years Matters and Chicken Little the Sky Isn't Falling: Raising Resilient Adolescents in the New Age of Anxiety.

Website.  

Do your children ignore your advice? Do you find yourself in a cycle of lectures, threats, shouts, and resistance? Building a healthy relationship with our children can be difficult, especially when struggling with challenging behaviors. In this inspiring interview, Ned Johnson shares the importance of strengthening our relationship with our children through connections. He provides strategies and tools on how we can talk about various difficult topics with our children in a way that is engaging and allows our children to think critically and decisively.

Ned Johnson is an author, speaker, and the founder of PrepMatters, an educational company providing academic tutoring, educational planning, and standardized test prep. A professional “tutor-geek” since 1993, Ned has spent more than 40,000 one-on-one hours helping students conquer an alphabet of standardized tests and honing his insights on communicating with students and parents. A battle-tested veteran in the fields of test preparation, anxiety management, and student performance, Ned coaches kids on how to manage their stress while simultaneously motivating and empowering them to reach their full potential. Ned has written for the New York Times, The Telegraph, U.S. News & World Report & The Washington Post and co-authored three books, including the national best-sellers. Tips on how to talk to children to build motivation, reduce stress, and live a healthy life.

Website

The diagnosis of a child as neuro-divergent can be a relief and, at the same time, a challenging time for the child, parents, and the family in general. In this conversation, Debbie shares the importance of connecting with a community that provides support. She also discusses why we need to let go of our ideas of what our children should be and parenting from a place of possibility instead of fear. Debbie provides sample scripts on how to talk to our diagnosed children about their diagnosis, talk to siblings and peers, and advocate for our children in the education system. Finally, Debbie provides valuable tips on how parents with differing parenting strategies and styles can understand each other and parent with mutual respect and compassion. 

Debbie Reber, MA, is a parenting activist, New York Times bestselling author, podcast host, and speaker who moved her career in a more personal direction in 2016 when she founded TiLT Parenting, a resource for parents raising neurodivergent, or differently wired, children. The TiLT Parenting Podcast has more than 4 million downloads and a slate of guests that includes high-profile thought leaders across the parenting and education space. A certified Positive Discipline trainer and a regular contributor to Psychology Today and ADDitude Magazine, Debbie’s newest book is Differently Wired: Raising an Exceptional Child in a Conventional World. In November 2018, she spoke at TEDxAmsterdam, delivering a talk entitled Why the Future Will Be Differently Wired.

Website

Parenting a child who is a respectful, kind, and compassionate citizen is a challenging job and rewarding job. In this conversation, Melinda will explain the characteristics (e.g., bullying, sexism, racism, lying) in children who become jerks and problematic members of society. She provides parents with practical tools and strategies they may use in everyday interactions to reduce the risk of their children embracing these qualities. Melinda also shares tips on nurturing healthy self-esteem, compassion, and kindness in our children. 

Melinda Wenner Moyer is a contributing editor at Scientific American magazine and a regular contributor to The New York Times, Washington Post, and other national magazines and newspapers. She is a faculty member in the Science, Health & Environmental Reporting program at NYU’s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute. Moyer has been the recipient of numerous journalism awards, including the 2019 Bricker Award for Science Writing in Medicine, and her work was featured in the 2020 Best American Science and Nature Writing anthology.  Her first book, How To Raise Kids Who Aren’t Assholes, was published in July 2021.

Website

Is it challenging to foster leadership qualities in girls? In this conversation, Dr. Beth Cooper-Benjamin shares the characteristics of a good leader. She explains the challenges teenage girls overcome to develop practical leadership skills. Dr. Cooper-Benjamin also shared the factors that influence girls' self-esteem in and out of the classroom and the negative effect of the perfectionist culture on performance and self-confidence. She also provided parenting tools parents may use to build resilience in their daughters. 

Beth Cooper Benjamin, EdD, is Director of Girls' Leadership Programming at The Westover School (CT). Previously she served as Associate Director of the Joseph Stern Center for Social Responsibility at JCC Manhattan in New York City, and prior to that she spent a decade on the staff of Ma’yan, a Jewish feminist research and education project also at JCC Manhattan. At Ma’yan, she created and co-facilitated the Research Training Intensive, a social justice leadership program for Jewish teen girls. Beth also consults, writes, and leads workshops related to girls’ development, civic and social justice education, and achievement culture. Beth received her doctorate in Human Development and Psychology from the Harvard University Graduate School of Education. She lives in Maplewood, New Jersey (USA) with her husband, their two young sons, and two old cats.

Website

Teens today are facing challenges that were not present in previous generations. For example, they are more likely to be anxious have more academic stressors and peer pressure. What even makes it more challenging is that they enter the teen years at a much earlier age as they attempt to balance expectations and development. In this conversation, Dr. Duffy encourages parents to understand that the "new teen" is a reality. Our children are experiencing more challenges than we could imagine. He discusses teens' challenges with gaming, anxiety, and drugs and alcohol and how parents may support their teens to overcome these challenges. Moreover, he discusses the influence of parents' attitudes toward their teens. He provides strategies to build a healthy, strong, connected relationship.

Dr. Duffy is a highly sought-after clinical psychologist, best-selling author, certified life coach, parenting and relationship expert, and proud husband and father. He has been working with individuals, couples, teens, and families for nearly twenty years. Dr. Duffy’s refreshing and unique approach has provided the critical intervention and support needed to help thousands of individuals and families find their footing. Along with his clinical work, Dr. Duffy is the author of the number-one best-selling The Available Parent and Parenting the New Teen in the Age of Anxiety as well as a frequent media presence. He is the regular parenting and relationship expert on Steve Harvey. He also appears frequently on other national and local television and radio outlets, and is cited frequently in national print and online publications. Dr. Duffy lives outside Chicago with his wife Julie and son George.

Website

Do you know your children's coping skills? Are they able to healthily manage stressful, unpredictable, and unexpected situations? In this interview, Janine discusses healthy and unhealthy coping skills, detecting dysregulated children, and the five coping skills categories we use to manage stress. Janine also provides parents with strategies for helping children to overcome sensory challenges and anxiety. Finally, she gives insight into how parents' coping skills influence their relationship with their children. 

Janine Halloran is a licensed mental health counselor working with children, teens, and their families for 20 years. She has been helping children and teens build their coping skills throughout her career in various settings, including schools, mental health clinics, and in her private practice. She is the author of several books, including the bestselling Coping Skills for Kids Workbook and the Coping Skills for Teens Workbook. She is the host of the Calm & Connected podcast. Her work has been featured in the Boston Globe, CNN, Huffington Post, and The Skimm® Newsletter. Janine lives in Massachusetts with her husband and two children.

Website

Children's books are excellent resources to bond with children and educate them about their lives and world. Children's author Robie Harris has been teaching children about their bodies and sexuality for almost 30 years through her cleverly written and illustrated books. In this conversation, Robie will share how we can use stories to talk about sex and sexuality regardless of our background. She also provides tips on talking about birth control, abortion, adoption, masturbation, sexual abuse, and the death of a loved one.

Robie H. Harris has written award-winning and internationally acclaimed picture books and nonfiction books and is known for writing about serious issues with honesty, understanding, and humor. Her nonfiction books for preschoolers to teens include It’s Perfectly Normal, It’s So Amazing!, It’s Not the Stork!, Who We Are!, Who Has What?, Who’s In My Family?. To date, thirty of her books have been published — books that span the age range from infancy through early adolescence. Her nonfiction picture books and books for older children are based on giving children access to honest, age-appropriate and the most up-to date information possible. Harris believes that if information is “in the best interests of the child,” it is her responsibility to include that information in her nonfiction books. Harris received a B.A. from Wheaton College, Norton, MA, a M.A.T. from Bank Street College of Education, and an honorary Ph.D. from Lesley University, Cambridge, MA. Her books have been chosen as American Library Association Notable Books, Publisher Weekly Best Books of the Year, Bank Street Best Books of the Year.

Website

When should we start speaking to our children about sex and their bodies? How do we navigate the cultural factors that make talking about sex and sexuality challenging? Is it ever too young to start the conversation? How much information is included in the conversation? How do we tackle the topics of consent and pornography? In this conversation, Amy shares how we overcome our discomfort about discussing sex and sexuality with our children. In addition, she provided tips and strategies on how we can navigate the conversation confidently. 

Amy Lang, MA has been a sexual health educator for over 25 years. She helps parents and caregivers of preschoolers to middle schoolers become their go-to birds and bees source. She also provides childhood sexual development and sexual abuse prevention training for early childhood and youth serving organizations. Amy lives in Seattle WA and you can learn more at BirdsAndBeesAndKids.com or BBKpros.com  

Website

Over the past two decades, there has been a growing concern among parents, educators, and others working with boys about the decline in their academic performance and level of motivation. They also are experiencing an inability to launch into adulthood successfully. In this discussion, Dr. Sax describes what it means to be a man. He also shares the key factors driving underachievement in boys and young men and what parents and educators can do about it. Dr. Sax also discusses the adverse effects of pornography on their development and intimate relationships.

Dr. Sax is a physician, psychologist, and author. He holds a bachelor's degree in biology from MIT, a PhD in Psychology, and MD degrees from the University of Pennsylvania. He earned both his PhD in psychology and his MD. In 1990, he established a family practice in Montgomery County, Maryland, just outside Washington DC. He provided care for children and adults in Montgomery County for more than 18 years. He took a 5-year sabbatical, 2008 to 2013, to devote himself full-time to visiting schools and communities and writing. He returned to clinical practice in 2013 near his home in Chester County, Pennsylvania, while continuing to lead workshops and give keynotes based on his visits to more than 460 communities over the past 20 years. Dr. Sax is the author of the following books: Why Gender Matters, Boys Adrift, Girls on the Edge, and The Collapse of Parenting.

Website

Parenting with an uncooperative ex-spouse or partner can be challenging. It is even more complicated when the person is actively undermining the relationship between the child and the other parent. In this conversation, Dr. Baker discusses the ins and outs of parental alienation. She discusses the factors that satisfy parental alienation classification, the actions that the favored parent engages in to create parental alienation, and behaviors children exhibit specific to alienation. Dr. Baker provides examples of how the alienated parent may repair the relationship with their children and navigate the court system. She also provides tips on interacting with the parent who is intentionally working to alienate them.

Dr. Amy J.L. Baker has a PhD in developmental psychology from Teachers College of Columbia University. She is a nationally and internationally renowned expert in parental alienation. She is the author or co-author of over 120 articles and 9 books including "Co-parenting with a toxic ex" and "the high conflict custody battle" and "Surviving parental alienation. She provides telephone coaching to targeted parents in the U.S. and abroad. Her website is www.amyjlbaker.com.

We all enter a relationship or a marriage with the optimism that it will last forever. But, unfortunately, that might not be the case. Co-parenting after a divorce or separation can be a challenge. In this conversation, Karen Bonnell will share how to co-parent respectfully. She will provide information on how we can talk to children about the separation/divorce; how to amicably create a two-home environment that benefits the children; how to manage interferences from step parent; how to manage in-laws,  and the effective communication tools that are necessary for a healthy co-parent relationship. Karen will also describe the difference between integrated co-parenting and parallel co-parenting. 

Karen has over 30 years of experience working with couples and families facing transition, loss, growth, and change.  Her work as a Collaborative Divorce Coach spurred her determination to write “The Co-Parenting Handbook” with Kristin Little, Child Specialist. Parents learn the best ways to support their children, strengthen their co-parenting, and discover the necessary tools to skillfully create a two-home family.

As a teacher, trainer, facilitator, Karen played an instrumental role in developing the year-long facilitator training program for the Compassionate Listening Project. As a certified Compassionate Listening trainer, Karen utilizes this heart-centered approach to authentic speaking and capable listening used around the world in high-conflict situations such as Israel/Palestine. Her deep listening skills make all the difference working with co-parent pairs in conflict as they find their way through the pain of divorce into a future with optimism.

Website

Our summit host, Dr. Burke, is in the hot seat for this interview. She will share her experience of being a single parent when her first son was young. She will share tips and strategies to avoid burnout and mental load, structure our lives so that our tasks and responsibilities do not become overwhelming. She will also share how we can remain connected with our children when stressed and tired.

Stress levels are on the rise for both mothers and fathers, especially mothers. Women are four times more stressed than men. In this conversation, Dr. Gray will discuss how stress levels affect parents' health, their intimate relationship, and ultimately the stability of the family. He discusses how different hormones lower stress for both mothers and fathers, the importance of Oxytocin and Estrogen for reducing stress in mothers, and testosterone for lowering stress in fathers. Dr. Gray provides practical examples of essential relationship communication tools that parents can use to reduce conflict and strife with each other and improve the family's overall health. He also discusses why the overall health of the parents' intimate relationship is crucial for their children's well-being. 

John Gray is the author of the most well-known and trusted relationship book of all time, Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus. USA Today listed his book as one of the top 10 most influential books of the last quarter century. In hardcover, it was the #1 bestselling book of the 1990s. Dr. Gray’s books are translated into approximately 45 languages in more than 100 countries and continues to be a bestseller. Dr. Gray has written over 20 books. His most recent book is Beyond Mars and Venus. His Mars/Venus book series has forever changed the way men and women view their relationships. John helps men and women better understand and respect their differences in both personal and professional relationships. His approach combines specific communication techniques with healthy, nutritional choices that create the brain and body chemistry for lasting health, happiness and romance. His many books, blogs and free online workshops at MarsVenus.com provide practical insights to improve relationships at all stages of life and love. John Gray lives in Northern California, where for 34 years he happily shared his life with his beautiful wife, Bonnie, until her passing in 2018. They have three grown daughters and four grandchildren. He is an avid follower of his own health and relationship advice.

Website

Many parents are experiencing the challenge of juggling home life and work life, leading to the rise of parental burnout. The effects of burnout can have devastating consequences on parents and the family overall. In this interview, Dr. Hill provides us with practical steps for practicing Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)technique using psychological flexibility to reflect on our lives and make necessary improvements within ourselves and relationships. She also suggests ways parents can improve their intimate relationship with their partner/spouse and children. 

Diana Hill, Ph.D. is a modern psychologist, mom, and co-author of ACT Daily Journal: Get unstuck and live fully with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. She is the host of the podcast show Your Life in Process. She blogs for Psychology Today, is on the clinical advisory board of Lightfully Behavioral Health, and is a guest teacher at InsightLA, Mindful Heart Programs, PESI and Praxis CE. Through her online teachings, executive coaching, and private therapy practice Diana encourages clients to let go of unhealthy striving and build psychological flexibility so that they can live more meaningful and fulfilling lives. Diana practices what she preaches in her daily life as a mom of two, homesteader, and yoga teacher.

Website