Parent University

Tuesday, Oct. 29

Strengthening Early Literacy Skills at Home

Presenter: Renee Beaulieu, educational consultant

During this webinar, the presenter will introduce various strategies to engage your child in developing vocabulary, background knowledge and verbal reasoning to enhance your child's reading skills.  We will discuss the skills that are foundational to the science of reading and how you can use these comprehension skills to reinforce your child's learning.  We will look at several ways to engage your child during outings, while engaging in daily activities and creating word games you can play throughout the day.

Register in advance for the Oct. 29 webinar

Wednesday, Nov. 13

Preventing and Addressing Vaping

Presenter: Patty Kilgore, Prevention Council of Saratoga County

Vaping has become one of the newest trends among tweens, teens and young adults. Kids as young as 8 or 9 are bombarded daily with positive messages about vaping on social media, gaming sites and videos. It seems appealing and safe. Learn the truth about what is in a nicotine vape as well as other vaped substances and the impact on a youth’s brain, body and development.

Register in advance for the Nov. 13 webinar

Monday, Nov. 25

Social Media: When is Too Soon and How Much is Too Much

Presenter: Dr. Jennifer Bashant, Founder of Building Better Futures

One of the biggest challenges of parenting today is moderating our kids’ use of technology. It can be a daily struggle over how much time is spent on phones, computers and video games. The explosion of social media and the overload of information is creating a sense of loneliness and negatively affecting our children’s mental health. As parents and caregivers, we know too much technology is detrimental, but how much is too much, and what can we do to protect our children from the harmful effects?

Register in advance for the Nov. 25 webinar

Tuesday, Dec. 10

Navigating Loss: A Guide to Bereavement for Families

Presenter: Kim Perone, certified life coach and grief educator

Kim Perone, Certified Life Coach and Grief Educator, shares her own story of loss and information for families on the stages of grief and how to be with others in grief. This is a difficult topic that Kim shares with heart and humor to help us handle loss, which is universally felt and shared, yet uncomfortable to talk about. 

Register in advance for the Dec. 10 webinar

Thursday, Jan. 16

Modeling a Growth Mindset and Building Resilience

Presenter: Dr. Jennifer Bashant, Founder of Building Better Futures

When a child never faces and overcomes obstacles, they learn that they can’t trust themselves to figure things out. As a parent or caregiver, it can be difficult to let your child struggle, knowing that they may not be successful. This webinar will introduce the concept of a growth mindset and steps you can take to build resilience in your child.

Register in advance for the Jan. 16 webinar

Tuesday, Jan. 28

Ways to Encourage Open Communication with Your Teen

Presenter: Bob Mackey, educational consultant

As parents/caregivers, we want our children to come to us with issues, problems, and struggles they are facing. But how do we develop the trust required to encourage this type of open communication, especially about hard-to-face issues? During this webinar, Bob will share strategies and facilitate discussion about ways in which you can invite and encourage your teen to be open with you.

Register in advance for the Jan. 28 webinar

Tuesday, Feb. 11

Is Finding a Work-Life Balance Really Possible?

Presenter: Dr. Jennifer Bashant, Founder of Building Better Futures

Parents and caregivers have one of the toughest (yet most rewarding) jobs on earth! Raising a family requires a lot of energy, patience and consistency, which can take a toll. Finding balance between the demands of home and work can be challenging. During this webinar, we will discuss setting boundaries, carving out time for yourself to rest and renew, and ways in which you can structure your weeks in order to feel more in control of your life.

Register in advance for the Feb. 11 webinar

Tuesday, Feb. 25

Increase Your Child's Confidence, Curiosity, and Creativity by Encouraging the Development of Hobbies

Presenter: Bennett Beaulieu, biomedical engineering student at Union College

Hobbies, interests, and passions lie at the heart of a strengths-based approach to parenting. Discovering and developing skills and activities that light them up will help your child to build a healthy self-esteem and will increase their confidence in their abilities to solve problems. Bennett, a college student, is going to share how hobbies have added to his life growing up, then will introduce ways that you can help your child develop their own interests and passions.

Register in advance for the Feb. 25 webinar

Tuesday, march 11

Move from Helicopter Parenting to Lighthouse Parenting

Presenter: Dr. Jennifer Bashant, Founder of Building Better Futures

One of the hallmarks of Gen Z children is that they are the center of the family. Parents/caregivers (on the whole) have placed their children’s needs in the forefront and worked hard to give them opportunities and material things that they may not have had. The extreme version of this is a tendency to rescue a child from struggle, and to hover over them, offering advice and support as needed (aka Helicopter Parenting). Jennifer will share specific strategies to move toward Lighthouse Parenting – a style of parenting that will allow your child to build resilience, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills that will serve them well as they grow.

Register in advance for the March 11 webinar