These webinars for parents of infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and school-age children are packed with real-life strategies and tips to help you and your children not just cope, but thrive.
Presented by the MIT Center for WorkLife and WellBeing
How to Help the Pandemic Generation Thrive
Presented by Care@Work
How can we best support our children during this time? Dr. Michele Borba explains why empathy and resilience are key, and offers practical, evidence-based, and proven ways to reach kids and help them overcome adversity, be more resilient, and learn skills they will need both now – and in the future – to thrive.
Become Your Child's Sleep Coach: Help Your Child Fall Asleep and Stay Asleep
Presenter: Lynelle Schneeberg, Psy.D; Director, Behavioral Sleep Program, Connecticut Children’s Medical Center
Is your preschool or school age child keeping you up at night? Does your child’s bedtime routine take hours? Does your child make lots of extra requests after lights out?
You will learn a gentle and gradual approach to help your child learn to fall asleep quickly, easily and independently at bedtime (and stay in his or her own bed all night!) You will also learn how to manage those “call backs and curtain calls” that most children love to make after lights out!
What’s Next in Work, Parenting, and Wellness
Presented by Bright Horizons
Experts discuss and reflect on parenting and caregiving during the pandemic, providing guidance and insights for the road ahead on three topics important to families: health and safety, work-life integration, and wellness.
Positive Discipline for Toddlers and Preschoolers
Presenter: Cora Megan, M.A.; Parenting Teacher and Coach, Peace at Home Parenting Solutions
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. This webinar will help put your mind at ease when you understand why these behaviors are typical at this stage of development. Participants will be able to:
- Apply strategies to help your child manage their impulses
- Recognize ways you can manage your own distress when challenging behaviors occur
- Apply positive discipline approaches to help children recover from aggressive behaviors
- Develop and apply positive routines that reduce intensely emotional and aggressive behaviors
My Child Struggles in School: How Can I Help?
Presenter: Amy Alamar, Ed.D.; Parenting Teacher and Coach, Peace at Home Parenting Solutions
Does your child seem unmotivated, stressed or just bored when it comes to school? Do you find yourself playing homework police instead of connecting in the evenings? Are you confused about what will really help? Many parents are confused and conflicted about how to determine the quality of education being provided for their children. What do you need to know in order to nurture your child’s education? How can you stay in the loop without interfering with the learning experience? What can help my child progress through the school year? Participants in this webinar will be able to:
- Recognize and address your child’s progress and needs
- Identify when and how to contact a teacher about your child’s school challenges
- Help your child succeed in school without taking over
Removing the "Man-Can't" Myth
Presented by Care@Work
Moms and dads have been struggling during the Covid-19 pandemic, experiencing equal amounts of stress, despite stereotypes. Dads today are “all in” and more emotionally and physically involved at home than ever before. Josh Levs, an expert on modern dads in the workplace, will share how men can engage on issues of gender equality and diversity, how they can become co-champions for change, and strategies to offer work-life balance for both women and men.
Mealtimes: End the Power Struggles
Presenter: Bradford Wiles, Ph.D.; Teacher, Peace at Home
Family meals are a powerful family ritual associated with school success, lower rates of teen problems and an assortment of positive outcomes. Yet, parents find it hard to keep consistent mealtimes and often mistakenly use feeding and mealtimes to try to enforce healthy eating through unhealthy means. Participants in this webinar will be able to:
- Recognize the risks of negative feeding practices
- Recognize and follow clear roles of parents and children in developing health eating practices
- Apply best practices for feeding children that support both health and family connections.
Parenting Digital Natives in the Information Age
Presenter: Amy Alamar, Ed.D.; Parenting Teacher and Coach, Peace at Home Parenting Solutions
This interactive webinar will address the use and over-use of technology used for homework, leisure, socializing, and the challenges it presents to families. You will learn practical strategies to truly embrace this new digital frontier without fear and within reason, including how to:
- Teach your children digital citizenship
- Develop an open conversation for the unpredictable
- Help your child develop a strong moral filter
- Support your child’s social life online and off
Working, Learning, and Parenting in 2021
Presented by Bright Horizons
Bright Horizons shares insights from its annual surveys, Modern Family Index and Working Learner Index, which reveal what’s on the minds of thousands working families, and cover the intersection of parenting, education, and caregiving.
Strategies for the Sandwich Generation
Presented by Bright Horizons
Double the care, double the love: the Sandwich Generation has the unique role of caring for children and parents at the same time. The responsibilities are complex—join us to dive into helpful strategies to care for them and for yourself.
Choosing Quality Child Care
Presenter: Kathy Kasabula, B.A.; Program Specialist, MIT Center for WorkLife and WellBeing
These monthly introductory discussions are specially designed for expectant parents and those new to parenting or child care. Each session addresses your different infant and toddler child care options, what child care costs, how to find and evaluate your child care choices, planning your parental leave, and the transition to parenting.
Choosing Quality Child Care sessions, which are open to the entire MIT community, are held monthly from 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
Parent Coaching
Wondering how to best support your school-age child’s or teen’s social and emotional needs? Adjusting to life as a new parent? Consult with an expert parenting coach to discuss your questions or concerns.
School and Educational Support
Does your elementary, middle, or high school student need support with their distance or "hybrid" learning? Looking for a summer program that meets your child’s academic and social-emotional needs? Connect with an expert education advisor who can help your child and family navigate and succeed in the current educational environment.