A Conference for Moms: Parent Education Made Entertainment

by guest blogger Amy Lang, MA

founder of Birds + Bees + Kids and MamaCon

Moms take care of everyone but themselves and it’s a known fact that we put ourselves last on the list the majority of the time. Somehow, everyone and everything becomes more important than we are. And then everyone else in our lives starts acting the same way - mom’s needs are last.

MamaCon - Inspiration and Tools for Modern Moms

MamaCon is a new conference being held May 18 and 19 at the Bellevue Hilton and is designed to support the hard work of being a mom in today’s world.

When I had the idea to host a conference for moms, the very first thing I thought of was how are we going to sneak in the parent education? Most moms think they should know how to do this parenting thing without any guidance, support or help, so I knew the parenting support would need to feel more like entertainment than education.

My co-founder Kim and I decided to have all of our speakers talk for only 15 minutes - short, sweet and to the point. This style of conference is perfect for the hyperactive mind of nearly every mother out there. Lively and entertaining, moms will be energized after each session.

We decided to strongly encourage moms to take care of themselves by offering free mani-pedis, chair massage and other mini-spa treatments. Every mom will be encouraged to spend one hour-long session in the Marketplace shopping, visiting our RejYOUvination Boutiques, and spending time one-on-one with one of our many Life and Parenting Experts.

The entire day is organized so moms can learn, relax, have fun, and remember what it means to put themselves first. Our goals are to support our attendees and raise the profile of parent education to help make it as normal to take parenting classes as it is to take childbirth prep courses.

We’re thrilled Rosalind Wiseman, NY Times best selling author of Queen Bees and Wannabes will be our keynote speaker. Her talk is entitled, Queen Bees & Wannabes: Navigating the New Realities of Girl World and Boy World

Life Strategies:

Solving the Dinner Dilemma: Stress-Free Cooking For Busy Moms - Make Ahead Mamas (Claudia Pettis, Deb Kapsner, and Maia Kelly)

Envy the Energizer Bunny? Sleep for the Exhausted Mama - Catherine Darley, ND

Vodka: It’s Not Just for Drinking Jim Allen

Getting Your Groove Back: Sex for the Exhausted Mama - Amy Johnson

From Clutter to Calm - Sara Eizen

Motherhood, Money and Mayhem - Debbie Whitlock

The Momarchy: Take Your Life Back From Your Kids - Angela Toussaint

Parenting Strategies:

Raising Resilient Kids- Avoiding Praise Junkies! - Sarina Behar Natkin

Turn It Off! Tips and Tools for Parenting in the Age of Technology - Ann Hungar Steel

Chores Without Challenge - Patricia Nan Anderson

Turning Anger to Empathy: Responding to Misbehavior with Empathy - Kathy Slattengren

Creating Grateful Kids - Shirin Shirkat

That Would Never Happen to MY Daughter! - Kelly Marquet

Picky Eating: It’s Not Your Fault! - Matthew Amster-Burton

With over 50 parenting and life speakers and experts, free mini-spa treatments, wine tasting, a comedy show and Seattle Mom Prom local moms will get just what they need to be healthier, savvier mamas.

If mama ain’t happy, nobody’s happy and MamaCon is all about creating happy moms!

Bellevue Hilton

300 112th Avenue SE

Bellevue, Washington 98004

Marketplace Preview and Kick-Off Cocktail Party!

Friday, May 18, 2012 - 3PM to 9PM

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!

MamaCon - Inspiration and Tools for Modern Moms

Saturday, May 19, 2012 - 8AM (registration) to 12PM

Tickets! Use Code MCNSPEC for $20 off.

www.MamaCon.net

info@MamaCon.net

425-522-2417

(c) 2012 by Amy Lang, MA

Views expressed by guest bloggers may not be the views of Washington Parenting Education Network or all of its members. Guest bloggers are wholly responsible for the content of their posts.

Strategies for Talking to Kids Getting Bullied

by guest blogger Shirin Sherkat, Psy.D.

parent educator at Create Happy Kids

Getting your kid to talk to you about a problem can be challenging, especially if they are being bullied.

You feel frustrated that your kid won’t share what’s going on and you can’t help him/her with the problem. You may even fear for his/her safety.

What is an effective way to encourage your kid to talk about problems?

A child’s perspective

First, a little insight into your child's perspective.

Children often feel responsible for what happens to them and around them. They may feel at fault, when in reality they are not to blame.

• They may not even know how to define the problem. For example: bullying. Sometimes, the bully’s behavior is not overt and obvious, which further complicates things.
• They may think that they would get in trouble for ‘telling’ on a peer. After all, they’ve learned not to tattle!
• They may feel helpless. They think there is no solution.

Successful communication

Here are FIVE keys to your success in inviting your child’s input and getting the information you need in order to help your child:

1. First and foremost: Keep your emotions in check.
1. If you show your anger or frustration, your kid will take it personally and clam up!
2. Create a safe-zone: This is powerful and important for your child to know and accept.
1. For example, you could start by saying: “Sometimes at school, kids can make each other feel so bad. If that happens, I want you to know that you can always talk to me about it. This is a safe zone and I promise to listen.”
2. Note: this statement is not emotionally charged, neutral in nature, and devoid of judgment.
3. Allow TIME for your child to respond. Wait. Let your child share what he/she wants to share.
1. You may encourage and nudge but do NOT push.
4. Now that you have opened the door to dialogue, Define the problem: whether it’s bullying or other inappropriate behavior, the problem may not always be clear to your kid.
1. First, allow him/her to talk about their experience and then help your child understand the problem.
2. For example, you could explain why the behavior (that your child may have witnessed) wasn’t appropriate.
5. Reward your kids for listening to their inner voice and the ‘feeling’ that something was wrong and they needed to talk to an adult about it. Encourage that behavior.

The THREE most important factors in addressing a bullying issue successfully:

• Establishing the fact that bullying will not be tolerated and is not accepted as part of life.
• Establishing an open and safe time/space for dialogue with your kids, consistently.
• Working together with your child’s school (teachers, administration, staff) to support your child by: Establishing effective RULES regarding anti-bullying & providing effective protection for victims of bullies.

When it comes to addressing bullying: Parents and teachers can help children by working together to increase awareness, create a safe zone for kids to ask for support, and establish clear and effective rules about expectations and behaviors at school.

(c) 2012 by Dr. Shirin Sherkat

Views expressed by guest bloggers may not be the views of Washington Parenting Education Network or all of its members. Guest bloggers are wholly responsible for the content of their posts.