Dr. Michael Bradley
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
The Pike School / 7:00-9PM
“When Things Get CRAZY with Your Teen: The Why, The How, The What to Do NOW!
Dr. Bradley will present the latest research on teen brain development during the time between the onset of adolescence and 25 years of age. He will address how to respond to the teen crises facing you now (or arriving soon). Dr. Bradley explains how the electronic culture has radically changed adolescence and offers solutions to perplexing and awkward situations that our teens and their friends are navigating.
Dr. Bradley is a licensed clinical psychologist who has many years of experience working with adolescents. He is the award-winning author of three books including the bestseller: Yes, Your Teen Is Crazy- Loving Your Kid Without Losing Your Mind. A much sought-after speaker, Dr. Bradley’s down-to-earth presentations have informed and inspired audiences around the county. For more information, visit his website at http://www.docmikebradley.com
Coming in November
Susan Tordella
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
West Elementary Auditorium / 7:30-9PM
“Positive Parenting: Do I Have To? How Chores Empower Confident, Competent Young People”
Give your children the precious gift of self-discipline through a simple routine of chores. According to a wide body of empirical research, young adults who did chores as preschoolers fare better in school and social relationships. Find out how taking out the trash, doing the dishes and scooping dog poop will:
• Enhance the parent-child connection – (the best way to keep your child safe)
• Nurture your child's self-esteem
• Teach them how to accomplish tasks they might otherwise avoid (also promotes self-discipline)
• Counteract entitlement
• Set them up for success in life (aka - not calling home for money).
Susan Tordella is the author of "Raising Able: How Chores Empower Families". She is a parenting expert, blogger, mother of four, and workshop leader. Susan will share strategies about how to use encouragement and family meetings so that you can retire as the house servant while your children learn to contribute in meaningful ways.
Susan Tordella became a parenting expert the hard way; by making mistakes and trying again (otherwise known as experience!). Susan has led parenting workshops for a decade and expects attendees to laugh and participate in this presentation. www.raisingable.com. This talk is appropriate for parents of children of all ages.
Lynn Lyons, LICSW
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Wood Hill Middle School / 7:30-9PM
“Worried About Your Worrier: Creating Calmer Kids in a Stress-Filled World”
In our world today, children and adolescents are commonly exposed to traumatic experiences that they then need to make sense of. At times, our media outlets, family environments, and even the school playground milieu may all contribute to a child’s sense of safety (or lack thereof). These factors, in addition to a child or adolescent’s temperament and genetic wiring all play a crucial role when combined with their caregiver’s parenting styles. Whether your child is stressed about school performance, friendships, or simply wary of new social situations, Lynn will provide you with specific techniques and concrete examples of how we as parents can guide our children through these tricky situations. If you have ever wondered whether or not your parenting styles buffer or create stress in your children, then this is the talk for you!
Lynn Lyons lives near Concord, New Hampshire where she maintains a successful private practice as a clinical social worker. Lynn specializes in the treatment of anxiety disorders in children and adults, which can include generalized anxiety, phobias, social anxiety and performance anxiety. This talk IS appropriate for parents with children of all ages.
Coming in December
“Teens and Risky Behavior” (A Panel Discussion)
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Andover High School Library / 7:00-9:00 PM
Panel members will include:
• Bill Fahey, Director of Andover Youth Services,
• Toni Kirby and Cloe Thompson, Andover High School Social Workers,
• Chuck Edgerly, Safety Officer for the Andover Police Department
• Alan Woolf, MD, MPH, Director, Pediatric Environmental Health Center, Children's Hospital, Boston
Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School
What are our youth actually doing when they say they are “going out with friends” or “just hanging out?” Join us for a panel discussion featuring some of the adults most in-tune with the youth of Andover. This talk appropriate for parents of middle school and high school aged children.
Coming in January
Ann Helmus, Ph.D
January 19, 2012
Wood Hill Middle School / 7:00-9 PM
“Supporting Children and Adolescents With Weak Executive Functioning Skills”
Join us to learn how to identify and support our children’s executive functioning skills. Executive functioning is a crucial component in our ability to plan, think abstractly, resist temptation, make decisions, and troubleshoot in novel or dangerous situations. Research has shown that by increasing the level of structure and support at home and at school, children with underdeveloped executive functioning can become much more independent and effective at self-regulation. Dr. Helmus will teach parents how to identify their child’s personal and academic strengths.
Dr. Ann Helmus, Ph.D., is the founder of NESCA (Neuropsychological & Educational Services for Children and Adolescents), a private pediatric neuropsychology group practice in Newton, MA. A seasoned presenter and clinician, Dr. Helmus works with school professionals and families with children and teens struggling with developmental, learning, or emotional challenges.
Jonathan Mooney
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Rogers Center at Merrimack College / 7:00-9:00 PM
(Snow Date: Jan. 25- check website to confirm)
“The Gift: LD/ADHD Reframed”
Back by popular demand, join Jonathan Mooney for a powerful presentation that supports parents in celebrating the strengths, gifts, and talents of their exceptional child. To empower students of different abilities, parents and educators need to understand that learning style differences can be seen as a social construct, not a medical condition. Come hear about what is RIGHT about your children and leave with ways to change social perceptions. Parents, teachers, and caregivers will be coached on how to help uncover a labeled child’s assets while teaching resiliency, meta-cognition, leadership skills, and self-advocacy.
Jonathan Mooney is a dyslexic writer and activist who did not learn to read until he was 12 years old. He is a graduate of Brown University and holds an honors degree in English Lit. He is co-founder of Project Eye-To-Eye, a widely duplicated mentoring program for disabled students. He is also a winner of the prestigious Truman Scholarship for graduate studies in creative writing and education, and was a national finalist for the Rhodes scholarship. He is the author of many books, including the bestseller, Learning Outside the Lines. http://jonathanmooney.com. Please feel free to bring your children (ages 10 and up) to hear this inspiring and provocative speaker. You won’t be disappointed!
Coming in February
Anthony E. Wolf, Ph.D.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
The Pike School / 7:30-9PM
“I’d Listen to My Parents if They’d Just Shut Up: What to Say and Not Say When Parenting Teens”
Ever feel as though the joys of parenting are being replaced by negativity and conflict? It is no secret that today's teens challenge their parents in ways that would have been unthinkable a generation ago. Tony Wolf will present a fresh perspective on this less-than-pleasant time period of child rearing. While describing the allergic reaction to parents that many teens seem to suffer from, Dr. Wolf will prove to you that this allergy is only temporary, and should not be taken personally. Using humor and personal examples, Dr. Wolf promises to tackle a wide range of hot button issues such as setting limits and curfews, trust, and handling those tricky times when rules are broken, or ignored. Find out why it is perfectly fine to have different rules for each of your children and not feel guilty about it. Like avoiding explosions in a minefield, you too can survive parenting teenagers!
Dr. Wolf is a seasoned presenter and practicing clinical psychologist who has specialized in the treatment of children and adolescents for over thirty years. He is married and the father of two successful ex-teenagers. For a list of his extensive (and hilarious) books on parenting, please visit http://anthonywolf.com.
Coming in March
Aureen Pinto Wagner, Ph.D.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
West Middle School, 7:00-9:00 PM
“Normal vs. Problem Anxiety: Helping Children and Teenagers Cope”
Most parents struggle with how to build self-reliance in their children and teens. Which strategies work and which don’t? How can parents interface with teachers and school administrators when their child is struggling and no one seems to notice? This talk will focus on the early recognition of anxiety and will provide an understanding of the environmental factors that fuel anxiety in our children (and ourselves). The efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy, proactive parenting, and if needed, medications with proven effectiveness in children with anxiety will be illustrated using everyday examples that all families can relate to.
Aureen Pinto Wagner, Ph.D., is a clinical child psychologist, expert in the treatment of anxiety, and an international speaker and educator. She specializes in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), and has developed the child-friendly Worry Hill™ approach to making CBT accessible to youngsters. Dr. Wagner is the author of several highly acclaimed books, including Worried No More: Help and Hope for Anxious Children, Up and Down the Worry Hill: A Children's Book about Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, What to do when your Child has Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Strategies and Solutions, and Treatment of OCD in Children and Adolescents: Professional's Kit. The latter three books comprise the only integrated set of resources for children with anxiety, OCD, their parents, and their therapists. Visit www.anxietywellness.com for more detailed information.
Coming in April
Rick Irving, LICSW Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Andover School of Montessori, 7:30 - 9:00 PM
"Practical Methods for Developing Self Control in Children"
This workshop will cover theory and practice relating to the development of self-confidence in children. As children navigate through complicated periods of their development, their self-esteem is frequently at risk, and their coping skills are sometimes overwhelmed. This talk will focus on specific approaches, techniques and language you can use as you teach and work with your children. Topics covered will include: development of confidence; vulnerability and adaptation; special situations faced by students with chronic illnesses or learning disabilities; ways to repair damaged self esteem; and ideas for communicating effectively with your children. Please bring questions and problems. Talk appropriate for parents with preschool and elementary aged children.
Rick Irving is a seasoned clinical social worker on staff at Bancroft School in Andover. He maintains a private practice in Winchester, MA. His humor and insights make him one of our most sought after presenters year after year.
Rick Irving, LICSW
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Andover School of Montessori, 7:30-9:00 PM
“And You Thought Their Behavior Couldn’t Get Worse! Managing Children’s Social and Academic Connections Skillfully and Successfully”
This workshop will cover the components of successful behavior management. We will begin by looking at children’s perceptions of our actions, and then in turn, what the purposes of their behaviors are. We will then discuss how to figure out how to intervene to change difficult or stubborn behavior patterns. Finally, we will cover language and techniques for setting limits and shaping behaviors, techniques to avoid, and specific categories of behavior including self-control, social skills, and separation problems. Please bring questions, examples, and frustrations. You will leave with tools to use the next day, and the confidence to try them out. Talk appropriate for parents with preschool and elementary aged children. See above for Rick’s bio.