Upcoming Programs:

NEW in 2009: Parenting Book Group. Parent to Parent and the Winchester Public Library are offering a series of four book group discussions focused on a wide range of parenting issues. The dates, books, and brief descriptions are as follows:

Thursday, January 15, How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk, by Adele Faber & Elaine Mazlish. Described as the "parenting bible" by The Boston Globe, this easy-to-read book, for parents of children of all ages, offers many practical and innovative ways to solve common problems and build foundations for lasting relationships.

Thursday, February 26, So Sexy So Soon: The New Sexualized Childhood and What Parents Can Do to Protect Their Kids, by Diane Levin and Jean Kilbourne. As noted by Harvard Medical School Professor Alvin Poussaint, "Every parent should read this eye-opening book. It is a rallying cry to take a stand against the commercial sexualization of Children."

Thursday, March 19, Season of Life, by Jeffrey Marx. Written by a Pulitzer Prize winner, this is a powerful and poignant memoir is about a man finding his boyhood football-playing hero and learning what it means to be a man of substance and impact.

Thursday, April 30, Nineteen Minutes, by Jodi Picoult. This page-turner is about a school shooting and raises very profound parenting issues throughout such as: how do we really get to know our children, and how do we help them when they struggle with life's challenges?

All discussions will start at 7:30 p.m. in the Library's Meeting Room. The books are available at the Library and at Book Ends, with 20% discount if you mention the book group. No pre-registration is needed, and parents can attend any or all sessions. We do not expect that all in attendance will have read all of the books; our goal is to offer an opportunity to informally discuss the parenting issues raised.

Raising Resilient Children and Adolescents. Dr. Robert Brooks will describe factors that help children and adolescents to deal more effectively with stress and pressure and become more resilient. He will discuss: (a) the importance of empathy in understanding and responding to children; (b) why some children from birth have a more difficult time developing a positive self-image and resilience than other children; and (c) the importance of identifying and reinforcing each child or adolescent's "islands of competence." Parents will be given specific strategies for nurturing self-discipline, self-esteem, responsibility, caring, hope, and resilience in our children. Dr. Brooks is a clinical psychologist who lectures nationally and internationally and has appeared on local and national television. He is on the faculty of Harvard Medical School, maintains a private practice in the Boston area and has written more than 10 books for parents and educators. Visit www.drrobertbrooks.com to learn more about Dr. Brooks. We wish to thank the En Ka Society for their financial support of this program. Wednesday, May 13th, 7:30-9:00 pm, McCall Middle School Auditorium.

Taking Back Childhood: Helping Your Kids Thrive in a Fast-Paced, Media-Saturated, Violence-Filled World. Guest speaker Nancy-Carlsson-Paige, Ed.D. will help parents address the challenges of raising children in today's culture and offer tips to strengthen and simplify family life. More details to follow. Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Programs 2005-2008

A Community Dialogue: Parenting in an "Oversexualized, On-line, In-Your-Face World." This discussion featured Sharon Maxwell, PH.D., clinical psychologist, and Rick Irving, LISCW, with an introduction by Superintendent William McAlduff. Sharon Maxwell is an author and educator who specializes in talking to kids about sexuality and has worked with numerous communities and school systems. She recently published a breakthrough guide for parents: The Talk: What Your Kids Need to Hear From You About Sex. Rick Irving is a social worker in the Andover Public Schools and has a private practice in Winchester working with children and families. Together, the speakers addressed the challenges parents face raising children in today's seemingly overwhelming culture. They discussed ways that parents can develop and maintain open lines of communication with their children and provided guidelines for creating safe on-line communication. February 2009

Who Are You Voting For, Mom?" Talking to Children about Power, Leadership and the Presidential Election. Dr. Hesse provided an overview of the development of children's political understanding from early childhood to adolescense, and made recommendations to parents on how to handle political questions and emotions with their children during this election season. Dr. Hesse is an associate professor of human development at Wheelock College. She holds graduate degrees in child development and international relations and has conducted research related to children's understanding of war and enemy. October 2008

Evening with Superintendent William McAlduff Our annual discussion with the Winchester Superintendent of Schools. Mr. McAlduff was informative and interective. He spoke to parents on a wide range of topics and issues as he begins his second year in the position. October 2008

Just for Women: Recapturing Balance, Gaining Perspective in a Frenzied Age How do we keep a sharp eye on the road of life when we can barely get supper on the table each night? How can women regain perspective at home and at work, and make sure they don't wake up at 50, wondering where the years went? In a world of freedom, mobility and hyper-connectivity, work-life balance can easily dissolve into a muddling struggle to survive - whether you are paid to work or not. In this talk, renowned work-life author Maggie Jackson provided insights and ideas to help women combat the daily frenzy and find their new pace, frameworks and definitions of success. Maggie Jackson is an award-winning journalist and author, specializing in work-life issues. Thank you to the En Ka Society for its generous support of this program. May 2008

Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems: An Evening with Dr. Richard Ferber " Dr. Ferber, director of the Center for Pediatric Sleep Disorders at Children's Hospital and world renowned expert on sleep problems, outlined the main causes of sleeplessness in the young child, helped parents to identify these causes, and offered ways to address the problems. This program addressed bedtime difficulties, night time wakings, and poor napping that affect many children at some point during their first five years of life. Thank you to the John and Mary Murphy Foundation for the generous donation to this program. April, 2008.

Successful Transitions to College: Surviving and Thriving This program, for parents of high schoolers and first year college students, offered a unique opportunity to learn about navigating a successful transition to college. Rick Irving, LICSW and a popular speaker, lead a discussion with recent Winchester High School graduates about the joys and challenges of this major transition, and what parents need to know. In addition to learning from our local youth, parents were given strategies to consider and viewed a wonderful DVD shown at many college orientations. January 2008

Whose Homework is it Anyway? Fostering Independence and Responsibilty Homework can be a challenge for families, causing stress for both children and parents. Parents often find themselves feeling frustrated and confused about how to help their children without nagging or completing the work for them. This interactive workshop offered approaches to promote a positive attitude toward homework. Parents learned strategies to foster independence and avoid power struggles over school work. Participants had opportunities to identify concerns, learn how to communicate expectations effectively, and take home tools to establish homework routines that enable children to organize themselves responsibly and work independently. Susan Marx, a parent educator from Families First, presented this timely and engaging program. October 2007

An Evening with Superintendent William McAlduff Parents heard from Winchester's new School Superintendent in a casual, interactive forum. William McAlduff comes to Winchester from Wilmington, Ma where he was Superintendent of their public schools for four years. Mr. McAlduff spoke with parents regarding a wide range of concerns and short and long term goals as the new head of the Winchester Public Schools. September 2007

The Pressured Child: Helping your Child Find Success in School and Life. Noted author and former Parent to Parent speaker, Michael Thompson, PhD., spoke to almost 200 parents, describing the psychological journey that children experience during their thirteen years in school. He told parents that children are almost never judging themselves by grades; they are always monitoring their own development, usually with three main goals in mind: connection, recognition and power. Michael Thompson has written several books and has extensive experience working with children and families. May 2007

Helping Our Children Navigate Today's Culture. In today's culture, we are bombarded with messages about what it means and what it takes to be attractive, to be popular, and to be successful. These messages can negatively impact children's developing self concept and their understanding of the world around them. How do we give our children the tools to navigate the media and peer culture effectively? Sharon Maxwell, PhD., a licensed clinical psychologist, spoke to parents of children in upper elementary and middle school grades on how to empower their children to become critical thinkers. Parent to Parent thanks the Rotary Club for their contribution towards this program. March 2007

Raising Competent, Confident and Balanced Children in a Culture of Pressure This program for parents of elementary school children focused on managing stress and achieving balance in our families. Rick Irving, LICSW, a school counselor and child and family therapist, addressed such topics as: the advantages and disadvantages of involvement in extracurricular activities; what to know about your child and yourself that will help you find the right balance; how to communicate with children about pressures they feel; and how to effectively encourage a child who might need a nudge to get involved. This program also included a discussion with middle school students on their thoughts about how parents can help in managing stress. Parent to Parent thanks the EnKa Society for their generous contribution to this program. February 2007

Successful Transitions to High School Eighth grade parents participated in small group discussions following the Winchester High School cirriculum overview. The discussion groups were facilitated by high school students and parents and provided an excellent forum in which to learn about classes, homework, social life, and extracurricular activites. Annually in March

Growing up and Letting Go: Parenting High Schoolers Toward Successful Transitions and Increased Independence Author and psychotherapist, Madge Treeger spoke to parents about the evolution of the parent - child relationship that takes place toward the end of high school and throughout the college years. She talked about how parents can encourage self-reliance and the development of their adolescent's own identity, interests and pursuits. A former member of the Washington University Student Counseling Service, Ms. Treeger co-authored the best-selling book, Letting Go: A Parent's Guide To Understanding The College Years, and has spoken about this topic on national radio and television. Parent to Parent thanks the En Ka Society for helping to defray the cost of this event. November 2006

Balanced for Success: Foundations for Excellence in Sport and Life Dr. Adam Naylor, sport psychology coach and coordinator of the BU Athletic Enhancement Center discussed ways to make sport a lifelong adventure. Dr. Naylor outlined the developmentally appropriate goals for children at the various stages of their involvement in sports and addressed issues such as preventing burnout, improving communication and trust, and maximizing performance. He provided starategies to maintain a perspective that leads to enjoyment, commitment, and excellence on and off of the playing field. October 2006

Risky Behaviors: Understanding Risk Taking Behavior and When to be Concerned The social life of teens can be a challenging time - for both parent and child. In this two-part program, we discussed adolescents' need to take risks and sometimes make bad decisions. Parents learned how to talk with their children about difficult issues - such as school problems, friends, alcohol, drugs and sex - and to know when to seek further help. Beth Fredericks, a popular Families First speaker, facilitated this interactive program for high school parents. May 2005

Let's Get Real  Parent to Parent and the Multicultural Network jointly sponsored this program for parents and adults who work with nine to twelve year olds to a showing of the film Let's Get Real. This 37 minute film features the voices of middle school students who have been bullies, targets, and bystanders because of their race, religion, body size, gender, sexual orientation, or physical or mental challenges. Rick Irving, LICSW, and Hillary Turkewitz, PhD, lead a discussion following the film about how bullying impacts our children. School administrators and a group of students were on hand to add their perspective on how this issue impacts our community. April 2005

Parenting to Empower:  Helping Teens Navigate the Social Challenges of Adolescence This program was developed in conjunction with several community organizations. The Winchester Foundation for Educational Excellence funded a major grant to the McCall Middle School to introduce the "Empower Program". The Multicultural Network was also a sponsor. In this evening session for parents, Rosalind Wiseman, well-known author of "Queen Bees and Wannabees" discussed the today's social adolescent culture: cliques, teasing, bullying and other common rites of passage. The program offered strategies and guidance on raising children who can navigate adolescence safely with strong friendships. November 2004

Discussing Diversity with Young Children Co-sponsored with the Multicultural Network, this program offered guidance to parents on how to discuss the subject of diversity with young children. The discussion included diversity issues such as race, religion, learning differences, sexual preference, and family structures. The program was facilitated by Rachel Wilson, of the Multicultural Network, and Jon Pfeifer, a K-1 grade teacher from the Leslie Ellis School in Arlington. October 2004