Takeaways and resources from A Day with Shimi Kang MD - Glenbard Parent Series events on January 31

GPS hosted two presentations with Shimi Kang MD on Wed. January 31, 2018.  Dr. Kang spoke on The Myth of Normal: Understanding Anxiety, Depression and Addiction at a noon program to Community Youth Leaders, and in the evening spoke to parents on Self-Motivated Kids. Dr Kang is an Harvard trained, award-winning physician, researcher, and author on human motivation, mental health, addictions, and wellness,


Rabbi shares takeaway from Youth Leader Forum

Rabbi Andrea Cosnowsky of Congregation Etz Chaim in Lombard shared the following takeaway

Rabbi Andrea Cosnowsky

from our Youth Leaders Community Forum and Glenbard Parent Series program with psychiatrist Shimi Kang, MD yesterday.

"Optimal health and learning can't take place when our kids are in the flight, fight and freeze response to stress. Thanks to the neuroplasticity of the brain there is much we can control.

Dr. Shimi Kang reminds us to get back to an intuitive parenting style concentrating on POD - Play (healthy exploration), Others (more social connectedness-less technology), and Downtime (relaxed wakefulness). Activities that are critical for our kids, along with simple breathing techniques, adequate water intake, exercise, and sleep. Simple is not easy. Knowing is not doing.

When helping our kids problem solve, we need to consider a dolphin style of parenting - firm yet flexible (neither authoritarian like a tiger, nor permissive like a jellyfish). Show empathy; ask permission to help; let them come up with a solution we can support; and show our optimism about the outcome. Working with our kids in this way will help them develop the necessary 21st century skills."

Parent appreciates message about importance of adaptability

Ted Estes and Shimi Kang, MD

Glenbard West parent Ted Estes shared the following takeaway from last night's Glenbard Parent Series program with Shimi Kang, MD called The Self-Motivated Kid: Raising Happy, Healthy Kids Today.

"It really struck a chord when Dr. Kang listed the most important strengths for success in the 21st century ("Consciousness Quotient"): creativity, critical thinking, communication and collaboration. The most important life skill that we can be teaching our children is adaptability. For me, this sums up what I have been trying to do with my children - and I am sometimes successful in doing so!"


Lake County chief of the juvenile trial division gains solutions that address the challenges of raising healthy youth

Claudia Kastin, Chief, Juvenile Trial Division, Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office, shared the following after hearing Shimi Kang MD speak on "The Myth of Normal: Understanding Anxiety, Depression and Addiction":

"Dr. Kang is an engaging speaker who provides simple, concrete and understandable solutions that

Claudia K. Kasten and Shimi Kang, MD

address the challenges of raising healthy youth. Her focus is on helping each individual realize that the solutions are within themselves if they accept three key principles: (1) Simple is not easy; (2) Knowing is not doing, and; (3)Doing leads to being. She offers hope that we as parents and community leaders invested in youth have a real opportunity to change the current stress filled environment to one that is focused on achieving  health and well-being. I am so fortunate to have had this opportunity to be enlightened . She is a speaker not to be missed!"

Resource links for Dr. Shimi Kang

Website for Shimi Kang MD HERE

Website for the Dolphin Kids Achievement Programs HERE

TedTalk: What one skill = an awesome life? | Dr. Shimi Kang | TEDxKelowna HERE

Notes from the evening presentation with Dr. Shimi Kang HERE (in PDF)