Parent Educational Series

Webinar: Thursday, September 25 (7:30–8:30 PM Zoom)
Presenter: Lisa Damour, PhD
School Skills: Setting Kids Up for Success

Please join us for a webinar in which Dr. Lisa Damour will address how to help children and teenagers manage uncomfortable emotions, adapt to new challenges, and cope with stress effectively. She will also cover when it’s time to worry about how a child or teen is doing at school and, under those circumstances, what to do.

Presenter: Lisa Damour, PhD is the author of three The New York Times bestsellers: Untangled, Under Pressure, and The Emotional Lives of Teenagers, which have been translated into 23 languages. She co-hosts the Ask Lisa podcast, works in collaboration with UNICEF, and is recognized as a thought leader by the American Psychological Association. Damour authored the monthly Adolescence column for The New York Times, is a regular contributor to CBS News, and created Untangling 10to20, a digital library of premium content to support teens and those who care for them. She maintains a clinical practice and speaks around the world on the topics of child and adolescent development, family mental health, and adult well-being. Damour also works with industry leaders on topics related to adolescent mental health and was a consultant to Pixar on the film Inside Out 2. 

October 6 In-Person Parent Coffee
8:45-10:00 AM in Andrews Assembly Room (Pape Hall)
Presenter: Lisa Roethling, PhD and Karen Brown
Landscape of Adolescent Mental Health: A Decade of ChangeJoin Dr. Lisa Roethling, Director of Student Health & Wellbeing, and Karen Brown, Director of Cultural Competency and Inclusion, for a practical, research-grounded conversation on what’s changed for teens over the last decade—and what families can do right now. We’ll unpack key findings on adolescent wellbeing, stress in high-achieving school cultures, barriers that keep students from seeking help, and current substance-use trends. Parents will learn simple, confidence-building skills—what to say, how to listen, and how to connect a student to support—plus ways to strengthen protective factors at home (trusted adult relationships, healthy routines, and digital balance. We will also present the school’s Wellbeing Way Forward and conclude with Karen Brown detailing the benefits of integrating the language, dialogue, and practices of the County Day community commitments at home.

Webinar: Tuesday, October 28 (7:30-8:30 PM Zoom)
Presenter: Jonathan Haidt, PhD
How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Impacted Everything + What We Can Do About It

Jonathan Haidt wrote The Anxious Generation with a firm belief that the challenges confronting our children and our families are solvable. However, addressing these challenges requires understanding the traps we have fallen into, so we can see the escape routes. The main escape routes are four new norms: delay smartphones until high school, delay social media until 16, phone-free schools, and more independence and play in the real world. Haidt will share the research that underpins the book and leave parents with inspiration and concrete plans to facilitate change in their families and communities.

Presenter: Jonathan Haidt, PhD is a social psychologist at New York University’s Stern School of Business. He received his PhD from the University of Pennsylvania and taught for 16 years at the University of Virginia. In his most recent book, The Anxious Generation, he brings to light the “great rewiring of childhood” in which play-based childhood has been replaced by phone-based childhood. Haidt continues to push reforms to put an end to the youth mental health crisis through his public health campaign, The Anxious Generation. Haidt also is the author of The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom, and of The New York Times best-sellers The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion, and The Coddling of the American Mind (co-authored with Greg Lukianoff). He was chosen by Prospect magazine as one of the world’s “Top 50 Thinkers.”

Nov 6: Dr. Roethling, Director of Student Health & Wellbeing, will join the SCDS Mindful Technology Committee for a live viewing of Jonathan Haidt’s presentation, followed by a facilitated discussion. The event will be held in the Bradley Conference Room, Pressly Hall, from 4:00–5:30 p.m.

November 5 In-Person Parent Coffee
8:45-10:00 AM in Andrews Assembly Room (Pape Hall)
Presenters: Lisa Roethling, PhD, and Chris Beckmann
Head and Heart Through the College Process

Please join Director of College Counseling, Mr. Chris Beckmann, and Director of Student Health & Wellbeing, Dr. Lisa Roethling, for a discussion aimed at helping you through the stressful college process. 

Applying to college can pull the brain in a dozen directions—and the heart right along with it. Head and Heart through the College Process offers practical strategies to calm the noise, clarify priorities, and build a circle of support. We’ll pair “head” tools—timelines, decision frameworks, and right-sized planning—with “heart” skills—stress management, self-compassion, and values-aligned choices. Students and families will learn how to pace the process, communicate effectively with counselors and teachers, and create routines that protect sleep, movement, and downtime. You’ll leave with simple scripts for hard conversations, micro-habits to dial down stress, and a shared plan that keeps wellbeing at the center while you explore good-fit options.

Webinar: Tuesday, January 13 (7:30-8:30 PM Zoom)
Presenter: Tina Payne Bryson, PhD
Elevating Discipline with the Brain in Mind

Join Dr. Tina Payne Bryson as she shares transformative ideas that can serve as a go-to guide for parents and caregivers. With candid stories, compassion, and humor, Bryson will address the challenges we see in everyday parenting and help us approach them from a brain-based lens. She will revisit the true meaning of the word discipline—to teach so that kids learn essential skills—and show caregivers how “chasing the why” behind behaviors and combining nurture with structure can help us shift behaviors, strengthen relationships, and improve discipline.

Presenter: Tina Payne Bryson, PhD is the New York Times best-selling author of The Whole-Brain Child and No-Drama Discipline, which are both co-authored with Dan Siegel. She and Siegel also wrote The Yes Brain and The Power of Showing Up, and Bryson is the author of The Bottom Line for Baby. Her new book, co-authored with Georgie Wisen-Vincent, is The Way of Play. Bryson is the founder and executive director of The Center for Connection. She speaks to parents, educators, and clinicians all over the world. She also consults with schools, businesses, and other organizations, including the Nike Sport Research Lab, where she is project director for Mental and Emotional Performance. Bryson earned her PhD from the University of Southern California, where her research explored attachment science, childrearing theory, and the emerging field of interpersonal neurobiology.

Webinar: Tuesday, February 10  (7:30-8:30 PM Zoom)
Presenter: David Yeager, PhD
10 to 25: The Science of Motivating Young People

Young people have an innate need to be respected and admired. But few parents understand how to harness it. David Yeager can help. An expert on the psychology of grit and persistence, Yeager has spent years researching how to motivate and equip young people for success. He can show us why our conventional methods of communicating with young people aged 10 to 25 tend to leave everyone frustrated, and he can teach us a better way of ensuring the younger generation feels inspired, enthusiastic, and empowered to do their best work. Learn how to adopt what he calls the “mentor mindset,” a leadership style that taps into young people’s desire for respect. He offers highly effective and surprisingly easy-to-learn practices: like being transparent about your goals rather than expecting your children to read your mind or holding them to high standards rather than coddling them. This is crucial for anyone who wants to be a more effective parent.

Presenter: David Yeager, PhD is a professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin and the co-founder of the Texas Behavioral Science and Policy Institute. He is best known for his research on powerful interventions that influence adolescent behaviors such as motivation, engagement, healthy eating, bullying, stress, mental health, and more. He is the author of the bestselling book 10 to 25: The Science of Motivating Young People: A Groundbreaking Approach to Leading the Next Generation―and Making Your Own Life Easier. His research has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Scientific American, CNN, Fox News, and more. Clarivate Web of Science ranks Yeager as one of the top 0.1% most-influential psychologists in the world over the past decade. Prior to his career as a scientist, he was a middle school teacher and a basketball coach. He earned his PhD and MA at Stanford University and his BA and MEd at the University of Notre Dame.

March 25 In-Person Parent Coffee
8:45-10:00 AM in Andrews Assembly Room (Pape Hall)
Presenter: Lisa Roethling, PhD
Parent Playbook: Talking to Your Teen About Substances

Parent Playbook: Substance is a judgment-free huddle for parents who want clear, research-grounded strategies to discuss alcohol, vaping, cannabis, and more—without eye rolls or scare tactics. We’ll bust common myths, translate teen brain science into plain English, and practice conversation starters that actually land. You’ll leave with a family game plan: how to set boundaries that stick, spot early warning signs, respond to slip-ups, and partner with your school and community. Expect quick drills, real scripts, and tools you can use tonight—plus coaching tips for staying calm when emotions run high. No lectures—just practical smarts, support, and a playbook that keeps connection and safety front and center.

Presenter: Dr. Lisa Roethling, Director of Student Health & Wellbeing at SCDS, has worked with adolescents for more than twenty years. A Licensed Addictions Therapist, she leads a practical, candid conversation to expand parents’ toolkit for talking with teens about substances.

Webinar: Wednesday, April 15 (7:30-8:30 PM Zoom)
Presenter: Laurie Santos, PhD
Happier Parenting: Evidence-based Strategies for Improving Parent Happiness

Feeling overwhelmed by the unique challenges of modern parenting? Join Professor Laurie Santos of Yale University to learn science-backed strategies for happier parenting. We will tackle topics like rethinking time management, dealing with tough feelings like guilt and frustration, navigating your child’s academic stress and screen time, and how to avoid the trap of overparenting. We will also see why parents need to prioritize their own well-being, not just to help themselves but to create a happier, healthier family life. This session is for parents of children of all ages with a special focus on middle-grade to teen years.

Presenter: Laurie Santos, PhD is the Chandrika and Ranjan Tandon Professor of Psychology at Yale University and host of The Happiness Lab podcast. Santos is an expert on the science of happiness. Her Yale course, Psychology and the Good Life, teaches students how the science of psychology can provide important hints about how to make wiser choices and live a life that’s happier and more fulfilling. Her course recently became Yale’s most popular course in over 300 years, with almost one of four students at Yale enrolled. Her course has been featured in The New York Times, NBC Nightly News, The Today Show, GQ Magazine, Slate and O! Magazine. A winner of numerous awards both for her science and teaching, she was recently voted as one of Popular Science Magazine’s “Brilliant 10” young minds and was named in Time Magazine as a “Leading Campus Celebrity.” Her podcast, The Happiness Lab, has over 100 million downloads

Webinar: Wednesday, May 6 (7:30-8:30 PM Zoom)
Presenter: Shefali Tsabary, PhD
Conscious Parenting: Raising Resilient, Self-aware & Connected Children

Dr. Shefali will introduce the principles of conscious parenting— a revolutionary approach that shifts the traditional paradigm from control to connection. Participants will explore how their own conditioning and emotional patterns influence their parenting style, and how self-awareness is the key to raising emotionally healthy and resilient children. With practical tools and heartfelt wisdom, Dr. Shefali will guide parents to move beyond reactivity and into deeper, more authentic relationships with their children. Parents will leave feeling empowered to foster mindfulness, empathy, and independence in their homes. There will be a special focus for parents of children ages 5–18. 

Presenter: Shefali Tsabary, PhD (known as Dr. Shefali) received her doctorate in clinical psychology from Columbia University. Specializing in the integration of Western psychology and Eastern philosophy, she brings together the best of both worlds. She is an expert in family dynamics and personal development, and has written seven books, three of which are The New York Times best-sellers, including: The Conscious Parent, A Radical Awakening and The Parenting Map. She has been hailed by Oprah as “revolutionary” and the “best child expert” she has interviewed in her career. With over 2.5 million followers across her social media platforms and appearances on podcasts and forums, from Oprah’s networks, Tedx, Masters of Scale, Dalai Lama Center, Kellogg Business School, Wisdom 2.0, to innumerable conferences all over the world, Dr. Shefali’s message has transformed millions of lives. She also hosts the top ranking podcast Parenting & You.