Archives: Courses

This series addresses ways to support the unique strengths and challenges of gifted first generation college students. First generation college students are more likely to be members of underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, come from low income households, and commute from home. Sadly, these traits are also commonly associated with students dropping out of college. In this series you will explore ways to support your gifted first generation college student including strategies to help you:

• Build positive relationships with your maturing child
• Support your child’s social emotional well-being
• Talk to teens in positive ways and how to give effective feedback
• Recognize the importance of mindset 
• Effectively foster independence in your child
• Set limits and reduce conflict
• Grow your understanding of stress and the brain

Co-parenting is often a challenge for parents living apart. The impact of constant stress and arguments can be exhausting. This course will help you recognize factors that interfere with cooperative co-parenting and provide you with concrete strategies to reduce conflict. 

By the end of this live online class parents will be able to: 

● Identify factors that keep conflict going 

● Identify and revise harmful conflict cycles 

● Develop a successful co-parenting plan 

● Apply skills to help you manage co-parenting stress 

● Apply effective strategies to manage conflict 

Even if you are excited about having a baby, it is common to feel worried too. Learn the facts about what to expect from the prenatal process. Get ideas about how to care for yourself and your baby in order to calm your concerns. This class will help you turn your worries into practical steps toward a healthy birth. 

Participants will be able to: 

● Recognize risks to pregnant women and newborn babies, especially for women of color

 ● Identify action steps you can take to protect your health and your baby 

● Work together with your medical provider in ways that will help you build a healthy birth

Studies show that youth who feel they can talk with their parents are less likely to engage in risky behaviors such as The adolescent brain assesses risk differently and teens get bored more easily. These are just a few of the changes taking place in your adolescent’s brain that might make communication and safety a lot more challenging. This class will provide parents with important information about teen brain development and practical strategies to help teens stay safe as well as grow and thrive. 

As children enter adolescence, they have a natural desire for independence. Teenagers’ desire for freedom can be scary for parents/caregivers, however, it is what gradually turns your adolescent into a healthy adult. 

Class participants will be able to: 

● Recognize key factors in adolescent brain development that influence behavior

● Identify factors that make independence during adolescence “risky” 

● Recognize the consequences of restricting independence 

● Identify and apply steps in planning with teens for situations that strengthen the independence 

Does your child have meltdowns when you try to limit behaviors? 

Is your little one suddenly hitting or biting others in frustration? 

Have you tried to resolve these challenging behaviors, and nothing seems to work? You are not alone. Participants will learn 

● Why challenging behaviors are typical at this age 

● How to help children manage their impulses 

● How parents can manage their own distress when challenging behaviors occur

● Positive discipline approaches to help children recover from aggressive behaviors 

● How to implement positive routines that reduce intensely emotional and aggressive behaviors 

Co-parenting is often a challenge for parents living apart. The impact of constant stress and arguments can be exhausting. This course will help you recognize factors that interfere with cooperative co-parenting and provide you with concrete strategies to reduce conflict. 

By the end of this live online class parents will be able to: 

● Identify factors that keep conflict going 

● Identify and revise harmful conflict cycles 

● Develop a successful co-parenting plan 

● Apply skills to help you manage co-parenting stress 

● Apply effective strategies to manage conflict 

For most of us the answer is yes. But it helps to plan mindfully. 

One definition of a blended family is a family consisting of a couple and their children from this and all previous relationships. Sounds so simple, doesn’t it? However, as 40% of US families know, it can be far more complicated. Not just how we spend Christmas, but day to day complications may arise associated with confusion and hurt feelings in both children and adults. 

This class will focus on raising your awareness about the kinds of internal and external struggles many blended families face and identify approaches that can ease the difficulties for both adults and children. 

Are you sometimes frustrated with the material focus of the holiday season? Do the current safety considerations make the holidays and school vacation just seem impossible? Wondering what you can do differently?

Participants in this class will be able to:

• Identify what research tells us kids really want that money can’t buy
• Reflect on your own wishes and behavior related to the holiday season
• Consider family rituals that enrich holiday connections
• Plan together with your family for a holiday that is meaningful
• Plan a school vacation with your family that works for everyone

Many parents report that fewer outside activities for kids and increased work at home while caring for children is causing increased stress, worries and even depression. Mindfulness is a great tool to help parents and children find that calm center that lets us enjoy peaceful, quality time together. Bring the kids to this class where we’ll try out some playful yoga, breathing, and brain calming activities that families can practice every day. 

This class will help you and your children: 

● Gain strategies to calm yourself in the moment 

● Reduce overall stress, anxiety, and depression 

● Use play to connect with each other in happy ways 

Even before the Pandemic, mental health disorders were the most common childhood diseases. Due to the dramatic increase in children and teens entering hospital emergency departments for mental health concerns, some are declaring a “pediatric mental health emergency.” 

Whether your child is doing fine and you want to prevent future mental health issues, or your child just doesn’t seem like their usual self, or has actually declared suicidal thoughts, you can help. Increase your awareness so that you can be positive and intentional about your relationship with your child. Participants in this class will be able to: 

• Identify and apply relationship strategies and everyday habits that support good mental health in children and teens 
• Recognize the impact of parents’ mental health on the family 
• Recognize and respond to signs in children and teens that more support is needed

Does any of this sound like your child? 

• Clinging, crying and/or tantrums when you separate 
• Excessive shyness, avoiding social situations 
• Constant worry 
• Avoiding situations or places because of fears 
• Complaints of frequent stomach aches or headaches 
• Sudden and frequent panic attacks 

Your child may be struggling with anxiety. And you may feel frustrated and helpless. You are not alone. One in three children will experience an anxiety disorder before adulthood. Unless treated, many will grow up to be anxious adults. This class will help you better understand the nature of anxiety, refrain from reinforcing your child’s distress by accommodating behaviors, and apply simple strategies to handle day to day challenges. 

Does your child have meltdowns when you try to limit behaviors? 

Is your little one suddenly hitting or biting others in frustration? 

Have you tried to resolve these challenging behaviors, and nothing seems to work?
You are not alone. Participants will learn 

● Why challenging behaviors are typical at this age 

● How to help children manage their impulses 

● How parents can manage their own distress when challenging behaviors occur

● Positive discipline approaches to help children recover from aggressive behaviors 

● How to implement positive routines that reduce intensely emotional and aggressive behaviors 

 ¿Deseas que sus hijos tengan confianza y cooperen? 

¿Sueñas con un hogar más calmado? 

A veces logras que tu hijo siga instrucciones mediante la intimidación o el miedo. Tal vez has 

llegado a creer que estas son las únicas maneras de hacer que tu hijo coopere. Sin embargo, estas acciones nunca mejoran el comportamiento de tu hijo a largo plazo. Regañar, gritar, amenazar y castigar a tus hijos puede herir la relación padre e hijo y hasta dañar la autoestima de tu hijo. 

Hay maneras más fáciles y mejores de ganar la confianza de tu hijo y lograr su cooperación, todo con el objetivo de lograr una convivencia más sana y un hogar más calmado. 

Participando en esta clase lograrás: 

● Aplicar prácticas de relajación mental que ayudarán a reducir tu estrés y el de tu hijo.

● Construir reglas y rutinas familiares para aumentar la cooperación 

● Aplicar métodos positivos que fortalezcan la conexión padre e hijo 

Esta lección se complementa mejor con nuestra clase “Disciplina Positiva que funciona” 

We parents of young children have too much to do and not enough time to do it. So certain things fall off the to-do list, and fitness is usually one of the first to go. At the same time, we know deep down that we are more patient and positive when we take at least good enough care of ourselves.  

Join us for this quick, practical class that will focus on results so that you will be able to:

• Apply strategies to quickly include fitness into your day
• Identify fun ways to include kids in your workouts
• Improvise new approaches when the perfect workout just isn’t possible.

Co-parenting can be stressful after a divorce, separation, or anytime parents are not in a couple relationship. Learn the importance of “cooperative co-parenting” and strategies to support your children. This class will help you minimize conflict when navigating parenting responsibilities across households. Participants will be able to: 

● Recognize different types of co-parenting relationships 

● Identify the impact of conflict on children 

● Apply strategies to help children cope and adjust 

● Avoid creating “loyalty binds” in children 

● Apply skills to develop a successful co-parenting plan

When schools and parents are on the same page, children learn social emotional skills more easily. Learn how teachers and families can coordinate about SEL programming at school and how you can help each other find solutions that work for children in your school community.

After this session, educators and families will be able to:

• Identify and apply tools to work together to support SEL
• Identify examples of practical SEL skill building activities for early childhood, elementary, middle, and high school levels that help families and schools to effectively collaborate

You don’t have to go it alone. Being able to recognize the behavior as symptoms and having a clear plan about how to invite cooperation and respond to challenging behaviors will reduce your family stress and strengthen your child’s positive behavior. Join with other parents facing similar struggles and create a plan that will work for your family. At the end of this class you will be able to:

• Understand the most effective ways to set the stage for cooperation through carefully chosen wording and timing.
• Apply effective behavior support techniques combining clear communication and useful consequences when needed.

You’ve done well up to now with a weekday schedule that gets you out the door in the morning and back home for evening time with your young children. You don’t know how long you will need to work from home and provide full-time care for your young children. 

Participants will be able to: 

● Plan and try out new routines that balance priorities while you seek a sustainable new rhythm. 

● Develop co-parenting strategies to work well in a simple daily schedule of care and activity.

 Is your child having meltdowns when you try to limit behaviors?

Hitting others or damaging things in frustration?

Have you tried everything and nothing seems to work?

You are not alone. This class will help put your mind at ease when you understand why these behaviors are typical at this stage of development. You will also recognize the power of planning ahead in ways that work.

After this class you will be able to:

• Develop and apply positive routines to guide daily activities
• Apply strategies to help your child recover from meltdowns
• Recognize ways you can manage your own distress when challenging behaviors occur
• Apply positive discipline approaches to help children reduce aggressive behaviors