The Teen Years and Beyond ... Parenting Adolescents and Planning for College

Does any of this sound like your child?

• Clinging, crying, and/or tantrums when you separate
• Excessive shyness or avoiding social situations
• Constant worry
• Avoiding situations or places because of fears
• Complaints of frequent stomachaches or headaches
• Sudden and frequent panic attacks

Your child may be struggling with anxiety. And you may feel frustrated and helpless. You are not alone. One in three children will experience an anxiety disorder before adulthood. Unless treated, many will grow up to be anxious adults. You can help. After this class, you will be able to:

• Recognize and understand the nature of anxiety
• Refrain from reinforcing your child’s distress by accommodating behaviors
• Apply simple strategies to handle day-to-day challenges

Presenter: Aaron Weintraub, M.S.; Parenting Teacher and Coach, Peace at Home Parenting Solutions

The SAT was overhauled in 2016, and college requirements are constantly evolving. For those who have a child applying to college, knowing what’s changed over the past five years is key to admissions success. This workshop will help you understand the current landscape and prepare your child for a new generation of tests. Key topics include:

• Which colleges are dropping test requirements and what to do about it
• The format of the new SAT and how to prepare for it
• Changes to SAT Subject Test and AP policies
• How COVID-19 has affected exams

Presenter: Briana Gordon, M.Ed., M.S.; Director of Tutoring, ArborBridge

Wondering how to help your student through the college selection process? With close to 4,000 schools in the U.S., where should you even begin? It can all feel a bit overwhelming. The goal of this webinar is to help you and your student understand how to narrow the options and select their best-fit colleges. In this webinar, you’ll learn how to:

• Identify your student’s strengths and interests
• Put together the strongest possible college list
• Match your student with a college that meets their needs and will help them reach their goals

Presenter: Karen Spencer, M.Ed.; Director, Educational Counseling, Bright Horizons College Coach

You might be counting on scholarships to reduce your child’s college costs. But with so many options (a basic web search for the word “scholarship” yields nearly 200 million results!), it can be hard to figure out which ones to target – and which ones your child is likely to win. This program will streamline the scholarship search process, teach you how to make the best use of your time, capitalize on your child’s strengths, and increase your chances of scholarship success. You will learn how to:

• Prioritize scholarship applications
• Strategically develop a college list to maximize merit scholarship funding
• Negotiate for increased funding
• Identify the most lucrative sources of private scholarships
• Avoid scholarship scams and pitfalls

Presenter: Chrissy Foran, M.S.; Senior Director, College Finance, Bright Horizons College Coach

We hear reports that technology use is associated with worsened mental health outcomes for children, but there is confusion about how and in what ways technology creates this negative experience. Dr. Walsh will walk through what the research actually says about this link, debunk common myths, and share technology’s often undervalued positive impact. Particular focus will be on thinking about quantity versus quality of tech use, and using technology as a mood management tool. While all are welcome to attend this webinar, the focus will be on addressing concerns facing children in late elementary through high school. Dr. Walsh is also a working mother of two teenagers, and will offer realistic strategies and important conversations that can be implemented at home.

 

Presenter: Jill Walsh, Ph.D., M.P.P.; Professor of Sociology, Boston University; Founder, Digital Aged

 

Your child is growing up, and your role is changing. It’s wonderful to see them realize new dreams and make new goals. Yet, it can also weigh on us as parents, as we see our job changing and worry about missing them. The family with which we have grown comfortable is shifting as we now parent an emerging adult. Our children are also going through their own major transition. We want to support them emotionally and financially, while also teaching them self-care and independence. This class will prepare you to:

• Support your child in their emotional transition
• Redefine your role as a parent of a young adult
• Talk about financial responsibility and planning

Presenter: Amy Alamar, Ed.D.; Parenting Teacher and Coach, Peace at Home Parenting Solutions

Many student loan borrowers wish they had understood what they were getting into before they took on education loan debt. Borrowing decisions made for college can affect students and their parents decades into the future. There are many things to consider when financing an education, including who should borrow, how much, and what types of loans to consider. Making the best decisions requires a clear understanding of the different ways to finance college and the long-term consequences of borrowing. This webinar will provide guidance on:

• Projecting your net cost of education
• Identifying family resources available to pay the college bill
• Financing options, including tuition payment plans, student loans, and parent loans
• Calculating the true cost of borrowing by factoring in fees, interest, and repayment terms

Presenter: Michelle Clifton, B.S.; College Finance Consultant, Bright Horizons College Advising