Unfortunately for parents, there’s no magical manual or how-to guide that comes with your newborn son or daughter upon leaving the hospital. And, often, there are no cut-and-dry answers for many of the questions parents face as their children grow up. Thankfully, parenting is a learning experience, and there’s plenty to learn from the renowned childhood development experts featured at 92Y’s first annual Parenting Conference on February 11 and 12.
Schedule of Events
Monday, February 11
- 9:15am — Welcoming Remarks, Dr. Gail Saltz
- 9:30am — Childhood Unbound! Keys to Confident Parenting in an Age of Anxiety, Dr. Ron Taffel
- 10:10am — Fantastic Elastic Brain: The Most Updated Information About Brain Development in Children, JoAnne Deak
- 10:45am — How to Give Your Child Confidence and Independence: Eight Things Parents Cannot Do For Their Children (But Wish They Could), Dr. Michael Thompson
- 11:20am-12pm — Break
- 12pm — Raising Children in a Digitized and Commercialized World: Challenges for Parents and How to Meet Them, Dr. Susan Linn
- 12:35pm — The Words We Use: Linking Language, Learning, and Literacy, Lydia H. Soifer, Ph.D
- 1:10-1:35pm — Roundtable discussion and Q&A
Tuesday, February 12
- 7:45-8:45am — For Dads: Breakfast with Dr. Michael Thompson
- 9:30-10:45 am — For Moms: Breakfast with Dr. JoAnn Deak and Dr. Lydia Soifer
The schedule is full of great speakers and topics, and the highlights include:
- Psychologist Michael Thompson is one of five accomplished parenting specialists participating in 92Y’s Parenting Conference. He believes that parents often struggle with how they can do more for their children, when they should actually be focusing on how to do less. “You can’t choose your child’s friends and you can’t micromanage their friendships…you simply have to support whatever your child does to make a friend,” Thompson says in a recent 92Y video.
- While supporting your child’s decisions is an integral component in raising an autonomous child, the “rules” of parenting have evolved and changed with the influx of digital saturation and commercialization. Children have become more independent and immersed in technology and consumer culture than ever before. Drawing the line between the real world and the virtual world has gotten tougher for both parents and children. Featured speaker Dr. Susan Linn answers the question “How much is too much?” and tackles 21st Century child rearing and parenting in a digital age.
- Following the presentations, all five presenters will join editor-in-chief of Parents and American Baby magazines, Dana Points, for a discussion and Q&A. On Tuesday, there will be an opportunity to connect with other parents at separate Moms/Dads breakfasts with the experts.
More information about featured speakers and tickets are available at 92y.org.
