Thursday, March 4, 2021

Dr. Catherine Pearlman, of "The Family Coach", joined GPS for two events March 2 and 3

 

The Glenbard Parent Series: (GPS) Navigating Healthy Families held two events with Catherine Pearlman. On March 2, Pearlman presented a program for parents/guardians of children ages 3 to 11 entitled "Ignore It: Increase Parenting Satisfaction by Selectively Looking the Other Way."  On March 3, Pearlman presented a workshop for professionals titled, "One Kind Act Begets Another: How to Create a Culture of Kindness that Benefits You and Your Students."

GPS is committed to providing quality programming as part of our Early Childhood Series in partnership with our like-minded  co-sponsors. We recognize this focus on early childhood development helps to lay the  foundation for a child's successful future.

With all the whining, begging, negotiating, and the challenging situations adults face, parenting can seem more like a chore than a pleasure. Pearlman outlines a four-step approach that combines effective, practical strategies supported by research. She advises stressed-out parents that selectively ignoring certain behaviors can build self-control, inspire positive change and return the joy to child rearing. Participants will learn behavior modification techniques to restore calm, avoid power struggles and build strong family relationships. 

 Research shows that being kind measurably boosts happiness and well-being. Several benefits have been reported to support teaching kindness: increased peer acceptance, a greater sense of belonging, better concentration and creative thinking. Kindness helps people be their best; inspires acts of kindness; and improves results at school. Learn how people can teach and support a culture of kindness that can change the world, and us, for the better.

 Pearlman is an assistant professor in the social work program at Brandman University, a nationally syndicated columnist and the best-selling author of “Ignore It: Increase Parenting Satisfaction by Selectively Looking the Other Way.”  She started The Family Coach to help moms and dads with typical parenting issues. Her mission is to help parents enjoy their parenting and kids more. 

Take-Aways

On March 2, the Glenbard Parent Series hosted Dr. Catherine Pearlman, author of “Ignore It! How Selectively Looking the Other Way Can Decrease Behavioral Problems and Increase Parenting Satisfaction” as part of GPS early child programming.

Jeanine Woltman, Glenbard Early Childhood Collaborative Coordinator, attended the program and shared the following takeaway:

“I enjoyed hearing about Dr. Pearlman’s four-step process to  eliminate the rewards of attention seeking behavior: Ignore it, Listen ,Reengage, and Repair. There are age appropriate behaviors kids cannot control and when we give ourselves permission to ignore them it increases parent satisfaction. If you aren't up to the follow though of the consequence (which is key) then say yes or ignore it. Reward the good behaviors even if they are small -you can build on them! Check your own feelings as a parent - just like on an airplane - you put your own mask on first. You have to take care of your own basic needs first.  Find a way to recharge yourself so you are able to present your best self to your child. Ending/ignoring the endless negotiations will make everyone’s lives so much better".

On March 3,  the Glenbard Parent Series hosted The Family Coach columnist Dr Catherine Pearlman in a program titled “One Kind Act Begets Another: How to Create a Culture of Kindness that Benefits You and Your Students”. 

Sandra McDonnell Executive Director of Navigating Adolescence attended the program and shared the following takeaway: 

“We can’t underestimate the importance of intentionally cultivating a culture of kindness – both in the home and in the schools.  Dr. Pearlman humbly shared  her story of literally giving her kidney to a stranger, and then making the point that kindnesses both big and small make a difference – to those receiving the kind gesture and to those acting with kindness. She offered very practical and do-able ways for parents and educators to encourage the development of the kindness muscle – even in kids for whom it doesn’t come easily. Additionally, she encouraged us to look for opportunities to praise our kids three times each day.  Youth need to see adults acting kind. Kindness is contagious - showcase it often. I came away inspired to provide the young people we serve with more opportunities to develop this critical skill.” 

Resources

Sunday, January 31, 2021

Dr. John Duffy joins GPS for two programs on adolescent anxiety: school, stress and social media

On Jan. 27 the Glenbard Parent Series hosted clinical psychologist John Duffy PhD in a program for school staff and professionals titled "Understanding Our Student's Stressed, Depressed and Amazing Adolescents in the Age of Anxiety".  Also on Jan. 27, Dr. Duffy spoke to parents and care-givers in a  program entitled Parenting in the New Age of Anxiety: Understanding Your Child’s Stressed, Depressed and Amazing Adolescence at 7 p.m.

Dr. John Duffy is a clinical psychologist, best-selling author and podcaster specializing in relationships, parenting, teens and families.  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.

Dr. John Duffy was also a guest speaker at DuPage County Prevention Leadership Team (PLT) monthly coalition meeting and shared great insight about the stress and anxiety our teens are facing today and some strategies to help them thrive.

Take-Aways from these presentations

Jordan Esser, Community Initiatives Coordinator for the DuPage County Health Dept. attended the event and shared the following takeaway: 

” Dr. Duffy provided important insight into our teens growing anxiety, as a result of social media, a tumultuous political climate, social isolation and the uneasiness that a global pandemic can bring. Kids need unconditional positive regard-be that trusted adult that is ready to listen when teens need to vent. Light up when you see them, it can shift their sense of worth. Encourage teens to have a daily conversation with  a friend, or relative to assist with their social skills. Take regular breaks from social media. We all need physical activity  every day. Be sure you have someone to discuss your emotions with so you can be positive and give to others.. Be kind and gentle with yourself. Self-care is a priority and a necessity not a luxury.

Eric Johansen, Assistant Principal for Operations at Glenbard North High School attended and shared the following takeaway: 

“My wife and I watched Dr. John Duffy last night on Parenting in the New Age of Anxiety. It was such a great opportunity for us as parents of soon-to-be teens to hear from an expert and gather some new ideas while reinforcing some parenting tips that may have gotten a bit lost, especially during our extra time together during the pandemic. These are some things that really resonated with us:

Take a look around your home and get a feel for the vibe. Is it too quiet, too loud, cluttered? This is something that is fully within our power. My wife and I need to set the tone in the one place that we can control it, our home. It needs to be a positive, orderly environment for our kids to spend their days and nights.

Regardless of how we are feeling as adults, the positive to negative ratio needs to always be tipping heavily on the positive side. Our kids are exposed to plenty of negative things so we need to be the positive presence that they can count on.

With our kids on screens for school, in addition to the time they may be on them for fun, getting our kids moving every day cannot be compromised. Moving, whether walking the dog, using exercise equipment you may have at home, etc. is vital to mood and mental well-being and will also have our kids away from screens, social media, etc. at the same time.

A big picture takeaway is just to be there for your child. My wife and I don't have to be child psychologists trying to help analyze and solve every problem our kids have. We just need to let them know that we are always there and will listen to what they have to say whether it is something they share for 2 minutes in the car on the way home from school, or something bigger that they need to talk through. We need to take what they are willing to share, when they are willing to share it, and always let them know that we love them and we have their back no matter what they have going on. 


Resources


Video of the Parenting in the New Age of Anxiety: Understanding Your Child’s Stressed, Depressed and Amazing Adolescence at 7 p.m.

Video of the professional workshop Understanding Our Student's Stressed, Depressed and Amazing Adolescents in the Age of Anxiety at noon

Take 5: Parent Video Preview – Dr John Duffy “Navigating our Child’s Disappointment”

Video of  PLT Monthly Meeting with Dr. John Duffy, Clinical Psychologist

Dr. John Duffy’s web site

Your Teen Magazine Book Review for Parents: Parenting the New Teen in the Age of Anxiety




Thursday, January 14, 2021

Phyllis Fagell presents two webinars re: bringing out best in middle school students

On Jan. 12 and 13, the Glenbard Parent Series hosted Phyllis Fagell author of  "Middle School Matters: The 10 Key Skills Kids Need to Thrive in Middle School and Beyond." The Jan 12 event included parents along with Superintendents and Principals from area school districts 15, 16, 41, 44, 89, and 93. On Jan 13, Fagell presented to educational professionals on  “How to Bring Out the Best in Kids Ages 9-15."


Middle school years can be low-stakes training ground to teach kids the key skills they’ll need to thrive now and in the future, including making good friend choices, negotiating conflict, regulating their own emotions, acting as their own advocates, and more. Phyllis Fagell is a licensed clinical professional counselor, certified professional school counselor, author and journalist.  She has worked in both public and private schools with students in grades K-12. She currently works full time as the school counselor for Sheridan School in Washington, D.C.  Fagell is the author of “Middle School Matters” and a journalist. She’s a frequent contributor to the Washington Post, focusing on counseling, parenting and education.


Take-Aways

Michael Fumagalli, Glenbard Assistant Director of Teaching and Learning helped host the event and shared the following takeaway from the Jan 12 event: 

Our kids need us more than ever, even as they push us away. Expect mistakes, but maintain high expectations, offer consistent love and validate their feeling. Share your calm/optimism/humor and your mistakes/failures. Our students need agency and influence. To help them develop the problem-solving skills they need, while giving them latitude to make mistakes that kids will make, ask  "Was that your best self?" (rather than  "What's wrong with you?" or "Why did you do that”? )  Reframing that conversation has a much more productive outcome. The question gives them an opportunity to reflect on their dispositions, attitudes, values and behaviors without condemning their actions. Reinforce your child's image as someone who will do the right thing. Model risk-taking, curiosity, collaboration and creativity. Give them a path forward when they make an error.


Caroline Andres former D87 parent and 7th grade teacher at Simmons Middle School in East Aurora attend the virtual event and shared the following takeaway from the Jan 13 event “How to Bring Out the Best in Kids Ages 9-15”.

“Ms. Fagell helped me remember how emotionally vulnerable and insecure this age group can be.  Help them understand friendships are fragile and often not reciprocated. If your child has social deficits wok on social skills such as seamlessly entering a conversation or asking questions rather than  trying to impress. Kids tend to overestimate social risk, so they need to feel seen but not judged. Model self-compassion rather than self-criticism. Ask them if there is a trusted adult they can go to in time of need.  Ask “How would you advise a friend". She also offered, when students feel left out, have them play the maybe game, asking: What are five alternative explanations that could be a reason you were not included? Think STEP: State the problem, Think about alternative solutions, Explore the solutions, Problem solve together”.



Resources


Phyllis Fagell’s web site



Value Card Sort  (PDF) credit: W.R. Miller, J. C’de Baca, D.B. Matthews, P.L. Wilbourne  University of New Mexico, 2001

Values Exercise from Think2Perform






Thursday, December 17, 2020

Dr. Jonathan Singer leads a community conversation on suicide

 On Dec. 15 the Glenbard Parent Series hosted Dr. Jonathan Singer the author of  "Suicide in Schools" in a program titled, Community Conversation on Suicide, Student Voice, Resources and Hope.


GPS was fortunate to engage Dr. Johnathan Singer for a return visit as an added event to our 2020-21 line up. The special event  included a conversation with Glenbard high school students and the leaders of local community resources.

As in his well respected book Suicide in Schools Singer provided
students, caregivers and  school-based professionals with the myths, truths and guidance on developing effective suicide prevention strategies. His suggestion that parents/caregivers model self-care and good mental health treatments (themselves)  and make sure our children understand we are there for them-no matter what can make all the difference in the world!

Lanny F. Wilson, M.D., Chairman of the DuPage Railroad Safety Council, attended the presentation and shared the following takeaway: "What a pleasure to learn about local community resources and to hear Dr. Jonathan Singer's informative presentation! Questions asked by the Glenbard students were compelling while Dr. Singer's answers were compassionate and wonderfully helpful. His 'Tips' for parents, schools, and youth need to be creatively repeated again and again. Sleep deprivation wreaks havoc on the teen brain. ‘Want the best for your child’ he said, ‘not for your child to be the best’. This community conversation on suicide prevention must continue, and our organization is pleased that the Glenbard Parent Series has given us an opportunity at 7 pm on January 21 to discuss Railroad Safety with a panel of experts in the field."


Videos with Dr. Jonathan Singer

Click here for a TAKE 5: Five Minute Video for Parents and Caregivers 

Click here for a TAKE 5: Five Minute Video for Teens

Click here for a recording of the program on Dec. 15  A Community Conversation About Suicide 


Resources for Depression and Suicide





DuPage County Health Department Crisis Services, 115 N. County Farm Road, Wheaton, IL   630-627-1700



Crisis Text Line   Text “REACH” to 741741 for 24/7 texting services.

Safe Space – a website with resources and tools to provide emotional support.

Monday, October 26, 2020

Deborah Reber Differently Wired: Raising Unconventional Children in a Conventional World, GPS event on October 16, 2020

On Tuesday, Oct. 16 the Glenbard Parent Series hosted Deborah Reber the author of Differently Wired: Raising an Exceptional Child in a Conventional World. 


Deborah 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 top podcast, community, and educational resource for parents like her who are raising differently wired children.  Debbie’s newest book is Differently Wired: Raising an Exceptional Child in a Conventional World (Workman Publishing, 2018). In November 2018, she spoke at TEDxAmsterdam, delivering a talk entitled Why the Future Will Be Differently Wired.



Emma-Leigh S. Strock  District 89 school psychologist shared the following takeaway:

 Deb Reber reminded parents to raise their kids from a place of acceptance, and joy.  Find opportunities to reinforce the idea that your child is loved. The parents' role is to create a world where our children feel secure, where we see children for who they are and who they are meant to be. The goal is to actively recognize, appreciate, and celebrate their unique wiring and commit to making them feel good about who they are, so they can best share their extraordinary gifts. 


Resource links

Video of this event with Debber Reber: Differently Wired HERE (YouTube)

Take 5: Parent Preview – Deborah Reber on Reinforce All Kids With Love (YouTube)

Deborah Reber’s website 

TiLT Parenting podcast

Out Now: Differently Wired: Raising an Exceptional Child in a Conventional World (Workman)

Watch Debbie’s TEDxAmsterdam talk: Why the Future Will Be Differently Wired









Dr. Christine Carter speak to GPS on teens’ uncertain futures, media overload among topics

 


On Tuesday, Oct. 20  the Glenbard Parent Series hosted Dr. Christine Carter the author of The New Adolescence:  Raising Happy and Successful Teens in and Age of Anxiety and Distraction.  Dr. Carter returned to the Glenbard Parents Series as part of our 25th year celebration to offer science-based strategies for raising happy, healthy, and successful young people. 

Christine Carter, Ph.D., is a sociologist, and Senior Fellow at UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center. Her best-selling books include “The Adolescence: Raising Happy and Successful Teens in an Age of Anxiety and Distraction” (2020) and “Raising Happiness: 10 Simple Steps for More Joyful Kids and Happier Parents.” 






Glenbard South parent Anita Gaikis shared the following takeaway:


Kids need freedom, privacy, and clear guidelines (given with warmth) about our expectations.  Move to the role of consultant. We need to acknowledge our children’s very real loss and disappointments around the changes in their lives and schedules due to COVID-19. We need to acknowledge their feelings about the loss of their usual high school milestones. Teens experience their emotions very intensely. We need to actively listen without trying to fix or take away their grief and "name the  emotion - to tame it".  Is it sadness, anger, or frustration. Empathy is powerful!



A message from Dr. Christine Carter: 

"I hope you will order my new book, The New Adolescence. It's available on Amazon, of course, but my favorite local bookstore, Book Passage, can also send it to you. If you want a signed, personalized copy, Book Passage can do that, too. Just add a note in the "Order Comments" section during checkout that you'd like it signed, and to whom you'd like me to personalize it.

Participants can text CARTER to 668-66 to receive additional resources."


Resource Links

Saturday, October 3, 2020

Jason Reynolds speaks on his books and being an anti-racist as part of Glenbard Community Read

 The Glenbard Parent Series hosted author Jason Reynolds, the Library of Congress Youth Ambassador to Young People’s Literature, at a community author event on September 29, 2020. The Glenbard Parent Series selected the electrifying Long Way Down and Stamped: Racism, Antiracism and You as its first semester Community-Wide Reads. 


Long Way Down, written in free verse, is told from the perspective of a teenage boy mourning the death of his brother and contemplating revenge. The novel is set during the sixty seconds it takes the boy to ride the elevator down from his apartment. At each floor along the way, he encounters family and friends destroyed by gun violence. Each has advice for him as he struggles with the burden of revenge and grapples with a life-altering dilemma: to kill his brother’s murderer or not.

Jason Reynolds also discussed his criticality acclaimed non- fiction exploration of racism and antiracism, Stamped: Racism, Antiracism and You. This remix of Kendi’s book Stamped From the Beginning similarly traces the origins of anti-black and racist ideas as well as proposes tools for identifying and combating them- all approachable for a younger audience. Reynolds writes, “This is a book about the here and now”. The book is number one on the NY Times Bestseller List from the most in-demand young adult author in the U.S.


Jason Reynolds is a number one New York Times bestselling author, a Newbery Award Honoree, a two-time National Book Award finalist, an NAACP Image Award Winner, and the recipient of multiple Coretta Scott King honors. Among his 14 books are Ghost, All American Boys, and Long Way Down–which was a recent Parents’ Choice Gold Award Winner.  The Chicago Tribune says books by Jason Reynolds are among the “best to lure kids from screens during the coronavirus lockdown.”


Community member summarizes Reynolds' event

Erica Nelson, former Glenbard Parent, faculty member for Business and Corporate Education, and co-president of the League of Women Voters of Glen Ellyn shared the following:

Jason Reynolds, Library of Congress National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, was this month’s GPS nationally recognized speaker. Jason Reynolds enthusiasm for writing and especially writing for kids was on full display on October 29th and the 500 + teens and community members who attended felt his passion and compassion. 

Jason started his presentation with a gentle reminder for our school community during this challenging public health crisis….”Students, be gentle with yourselves. Parents, be gentle with yourselves. Teachers, be gentle with yourselves.”  His book, Long Way Down is about a 15-year old boy whose brother is shot and killed. And so Will, descends in the elevator the 8 floors in his building, with a decision to make; does he take revenge? 

Jason shared that when the book was first published the response was that it was a book about gun violence. That is true. It is also about this boy, Will. Living in an environment with rules that can make it impossible to see another way to live. The Rules. No. 1 No Crying. No. 2 No Snitching. No 3. Revenge, take it.  Jason’s story is Will’s story. He lost a good friend as a teenager and Jason found another way to live. 

Jason wants his readers to know about Will: “We don't see the things strapped to his back.” These are the rules that burden him when he wants to be a kid. “Every environment has rules that we carry on our backs.” What are they for us? What holds us back? What holds us in? 

Jason took multiple questions from Glenbard High School students who were thoughtful and engaging. Two questions capture their preparation. The first was about whether he (Jason Reynolds) believes that this country (America) is the country that our founding fathers had in mind. Another was how Jason found the confidence to be a writer. 

A takeaway from the book is to open our hearts to understand the belief systems and the rules that guide our lives.  How do we see beyond the limits imposed on us? Acknowledge them. Challenge them. Break through them. We are much bigger than where we begin. 


Parent shares takeaway from author event

Glenbard West parent Karin Daly shared the following takeaway:

"I appreciate that the Glenbard Parent Series had the courage to provide a platform to have challenging conversations and to hear voices that might be able to shake up and penetrate what many call 'the bubble' of our suburban area. Jason Reynolds brought a historical and thoughtful perspective, asking us to question the narrative of what we have long been taught, like calling something 'classic literature' — by whose definition? I loved his simpler themes as well:  Anti-racism is just another word for love; and the concept that racism acts much like a virus and that we all have to own our role in the contagion to stop the spread.I'd like to continue to see this community having challenging conversations with each other and with our children. And questioning what we accept as a truth or a standard, as it may not take into account someone else's very valid truth or what is standard to them. Thanks again to GPS for a thought-provoking evening."


Resources


JASON REYNOLDS WEB SITE

STAMPED: FOR OUR CLASSROOMS, HOMES, AND COMMUNITIES web site with various videos and resources



CBS This Morning: Jason Reynolds named ambassador for young people’s literature Jan 13 2020 (YouTube)

NPR: A History Book That Isn’t: Finding A Way To Teach Racism To A New Generation with Jason Reynolds and Ibram Kendi

    

    

Friday, October 2, 2020

Celebrating Latinx Heritage Month with a look back at GPS speaker Erika L. Sánchez


This month is Latinx Heritage Month which commemorates Latinx history, culture and community.  In November 2019 the Glenbard Parent Series hosted Erika L. Sánchez, the National Book Award-nominated author of I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter.  

At her visit, Sánchez recorded two Take 5 videos for students and parents, which you can view here: 

Sanchez 's GPS Take Five/5 Minute video for students titled "Be Resilient"

Sanchez 's GPS Take Five/5 Minute video for parents titled "Give Your Children the Chance to Be Themselves"


Sánchez’s acclaimed first novel, I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter, was immediately heralded as one of the most significant works of young adult fiction in recent years and nominated for the National Book Award in Young People's Literature. Born and raised in a working class town outside of Chicago to formerly undocumented Mexican immigrants, Sánchez’s experience informed her moving depiction of the realities of undocumented life in America. Told through the eyes of a teenage girl trying to find her place between Mexican culture and American life after a tragedy upends her family, the book compassionately and powerfully touches on numerous contemporary issues including mental health, and immigration.




Monday, June 15, 2020

Reality Illinois - Teen PhilanthoParty - Join Them



Reality Illinois and the DuPage County Health Dept. Prevention Leadership Team recently held their annual Teen PhilanthroParty- a party with a purpose.This year the event was conducted via ZOOM with over 50 teens participating. T

Teens heard from Reality alumni and learned about resources to get involved in community betterment and advocacy projects. You can view the recorded event here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5aOBmIheKM&t=5s or on the PLT facebook page. 

CLICK HERE for the handout that all participants received which includes advocacy resources, summer boredom busters and the Reality summer schedule.  Virtual Reality Meeting Schedule All high school students are welcome to join. Our first summer meeting will be held Tuesday, June 16, at 1 p.m. 

For further information, contact Gilda Ross, Glenbard District 87 student and community projects coordinator, at 630-942-7668 or  gilda_ross@glenbard.org


Tuesday, March 17, 2020

Dr. Chris Willard speaks to GPS on Mindfulness Practices to Foster Focused, Relaxed and Happy Children & Growing Up Mindful, Capable and Resilient

All parents can use assistance in finding balance and increasing happiness and calm. And introducing mindfulness into the lives of our children and teenagers is perhaps the greatest gift we can offer. Mindfulness builds emotional intelligence, boosts happiness, increases curiosity and engagement, reduces anxiety and depression, soothes the pain of trauma, and helps kids (and adults) focus, learn, and make better choices. If that weren’t enough, research in neuroscience now shows that mindfulness significantly enhances what psychologists call “flourishing”—the opposite of depression and avoidance.

Dr Willard presented two programs on Mindfulness: Mindfulness Practices to Foster, Relaxed and Happy Children (ages 3-8)and Growing Up Mindful, Capable and Resilient (pre-teens and teens).

Dr Willard is an international educational consultant and author or over 10 books on mindfulness. He teaches at Harvard Medical School and is the president of the Mindfulness in Education Network. He has presented at several TedX conferences, and he is frequently profiled in the national media.


Dr. Willard with Dr. Jones

On Wednesday, March 11, the Glenbard Parent Series hosted clinical psychologist and author Dr Christopher Willard in a  program titled: Growing Up Mindful, Capable and Resilient. Glenbard South psychologist Dr Caicina Jones attended the program at noon and shared the following takeaway:

Dr Willard defines mindfulness as paying attention to the here and now with kindness and curiosity.  Adults need to model healthy ways to respond to stress as a protective factor to help teens build the resilience skills that will be useful for a lifetime.

Simple breathing techniques  and other mindfulness practices can be an empowering way for young people to regulate themselves and  regain composure in a variety of situations.  Create a space where your children can calm down, and check in rather than check and understand "Don't believe everything you think”.

Dr. Willard with Rachel Solomon

Churchill Elementary School Principal Rachel Solomon attended a presentation  at 9:30 a.m. titled Mindfulness Practices to Foster, Focused, Relaxed and Happy Children and shared the following takeaway:

Dr.Willard shared information about the positive impact of mindful breathing and how it can calm the body and clear the mind.  He stressed the importance of becoming more aware of our body and asked the question  -are we “mind full or mindful.”  There is power in our day- to -day interactions among humans starting at a young age.

We don’t realize the positive impact that our voices, attention  and body language play on infants through each stage of development.  We can easily incorporate simple strategies into what we already do every day, at home with our families as well as in our work with teachers and students.


Videos





Resources



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