I thoroughly enjoy the experience of sharing ideas, current research findings and evidence-based information with groups. I like to create opportunities to spark new ways for participants to understand children and family life while providing tools to parents/caregivers to increase joy and peace in the family and in the children they work with.
Talks for Parents and Educators.
Over the past 15 years, I have been an invited speaker at general meetings for many preschools, elementary schools and organizations serving children in the greater Portland area and surrounding communities. I have also served as a keynote speaker for Parent-Child Preschool Organization (PCPO) conferences and regularly offer workshops at the annual PCPO Conference for parents, teachers and caregivers of young children. I am passionate about parent education and strive to make my talks fun, engaging and informative for audiences.
Prior to a scheduled talk, I welcome conversations with teachers at the school and other school leaders to learn more about their school community and to determine a topic and goals for the talk. I then create a talk that fits the needs of the community I am speaking with. I generally require a minimum of two weeks notice in scheduling a talk (though longer is better as I do get booked up quickly in the Fall and Spring), but can sometimes accommodate last minute requests when my schedule permits.
Common Presentation Topics include:
- The Role of Temperament in Parenting
- Supporting Social Relationships In Children
- Shining Light into “The Dark Side” of Parenting
- Understanding & Supporting Rough-Housing Play Between Children
- Supporting and Surviving The Emotional World of Children
- The Power of Play for Children
- Growing a Child’s Positive Sense of Self: The Self-Esteem Challenge
- Coping with Challenging Behaviors of Preschoolers
- Sibling Relationships with Preschoolers and Children
- Developing Family Rituals and Routines With Children
- Creating Meaningful Holidays for Families. (usually offered in October/early November)
Staff Trainings.
I provide trainings for staff who work with children, or families on a variety of topics. These trainings vary in length from one hour to all day trainings, depending on the needs of the organization.
Topics include:
- Handling “touchy topics” with parents
- Supporting attachment and working with anxiety in families
- Building positive connections with diverse families
- Providing strength-based work with children and families
- Setting the stage for positive transitions with children
- Building self-regulation in children