Positive Parenting for Military Families | Mr. Dad

Sarah Bowen Shea, co-editor of Tales from another Mother Runner. Topic: Triumphs, trials, tips and tricks from the road. Issues: The many ways mother runners experience running: ownership, perspective, support, joy, strength, ambition, persistence. Mark Hurst, author of Pairfection. Topic: A look at the ridiculous pursuit of a “perfect” marriage. Issues: HOw to stop chasing after perfection and focus on purusing each other’s happiness; trust your relationship instincts; have open discussions and work through differences; keep your marriage from becoming stale; look forward to your future together. David Vienna, author of Calm the F*ck Down. Topic: Could this be the only parenting technique you’ll ever need? Issues: A variety of scenarious that make parents anxious–and down-to-earth reassurance and guidance on how to relax and enjoy the moment.

Norman Doidge, author of The Brain’s Way of Healing. Topic: Remarkable discoveries from the frontiers of neuroplasticity. Issues: What is neuroplasticity and how does it work? the stages of neuroplastic healing; rewiring the brain with light; healing serious brain problems through movement; the special connection between music and the brain; how the brain rebalances itself. Robert Melillo, author of Disconnected Kids. Topic: Balancing the brains of kids with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and other neurological disorders. Issues: How the developing mind is wired; what causes left- and right-brain disconnect; identifying left- or right-brain deficiency; (re)training the brain through physical stimulation.

John Golicz, CEO of UNICOMM, which produces Travel & Adventure Shows. travelshows.com. Topic: Travel & Adventure shows. Issues: Travel options for families, couples, and singles; budget and luxury travel options; domestic and international travel destinations. Peter Greenberg, Travel Editor, CBS News and petergreenberg.com Topic: Family Travel. Issues: Preparing for a trip; being smart about food safety; should you buy travel insurance? The secret to breezing through airport security; biggest mistakes families make when traveling; Dana Angelo White, author of First Bites. Topic: Superfoods for babies and toddlers. Issues: Defining superfoods; what growing bodies need; what they don’t need; simple recipes that emphasize fruits and vegetables, grains, protein, dairy, and eggs; getting kids to make good food choices on tier own.

Tim Dowling, author of How to Be a Husband. Topic: Exactly what not to do in every situation. Issues: Forty guiding principles of gross marital happiness; twelve labors of marriage; how to become a relevant, productive member of your own family and household; intimate, embarrassing, and very funny stories that will resonate and delight. George Hagen, author of Gabriel Finley & the Raven’s Riddle. Topic: Issues: Creating books for middle schoolers; riddles and puzzles, ravens, magic, mystery, family secrets, and redemption; childhood literary idols.

Vicki Hoefle, author of The Straight Talk on Parenting. Topic: A no-nonsense approach to growing a grown-up. Issues: Creating a blueprint of where you want to be; understanding that parenting is more about on-the job training and less about being perfect; bedtime bedlam, morning meltdowns; sibling squabbles; sass and backtalk; the trouble with tech. Ron Lieber, author of The Opposite of Spoiled. Topic: Raising kids who are grounded, generous, and smart about money. Issues: Why we need to talk about money; how to start the conversation; the allowance debate; the smartest ways for kids to spend; how to talk about giving; why kids should work; how much is enough?

Jenny Lexhed, author of Love is Not Enough. Topic: A mother’s memoir of autism, madness, and hope. Issues: Coping with a child’s autism diagnosis; trying to find the best treatment among competing theories and approaches; the importance of taking breaks, getting enough sleep, and self-care. Claude Knobler, author of More Love (Less Panic). Topic: Lessons learned about life and parenting after adopting a child from Ethiopia. Issues: The difference between influence and control; why worrying doesn’t help; how less than perfect may be perfect enough; learning perspective from a piñata and mushy food.

Richard Eyre, co-author of The Turning. Topic: Why the state of the family matters and what the world can do about it. Issues: Everything starts with the family—and ends with the family; social problems that are crushing society; making your own family stronger than the competing cultures; how parents’ perspectives are distorted by false paradigms. Whit Honea, author of The Parents’ Phrase Book. Topic: Easy, useful phrases, scripts, and techniques for every situation. Issues: Words to help you discipline and enforce limits; build a child’s self-confidence; handle questions about life and death; talk to your kids about friends, bullies, and playing by the rules—or not.

Angie Hallier, author of The Wiser Divorce. Topic: Positive strategies for your next best life. Issues: Developing a solid game plan to keep tempers in check and everyone moving forward; identifying bad habits that can lead to unhealthy choices; how learning to collaborate with your ex-spouse will give your kids a bright future; saving money by choosing your battles wisely; why going to court is rarely the best solution. Leon Scott Baxter, author of Secrets of Safety-Net Parenting. Topic: Raising happy and successful children. Issues: The importance of letting our children fail—and learn from the experience; helping children find their passions and strengths; the difference between nudging a child in a particular direction and pushing; why you’re not your child’s friend—and shouldn’t try to be.

Tammy Gold, author of Secrets of the Nanny Whisperer. Topic: Finding and achieving the gold standard of care for your child. Issues: The truth about nannies—what they do and how they think; identifying your family’s needs; conducting interviews, reference checks, trial periods, and work agreements; understanding “nanny speak”; troubleshooting to avoid drama, resolve problems, and handle any issues. Timothy Wilson, author of Redirect. Topic: Changing the stories we live by. Issues: Why so many self-help programs, drug use prevention programs; teen pregnancy prevention programs, and crime reduction programs (like “scared straight”), don’t work—and may even do more harm than good; how, by making small changes to the narratives we tell ourselves, we can create lasting, positive change.

Myla and Jon Kabat-Zinn, co-authors of Everyday Blessings. Topic: The inner work of mindful parenting. Issues: What is mindfulness? Using mindfulness approaches to become a better parent; learning to respond to our children with greater wisdom and compassion. Anne Fishel, author of Home for Dinner. Topic: Mixing food, fun, and conversation for a happier family and healthier kids. Issues: Overcoming time-constraints, scheduling issues, and post-work fatigue; bringing gratitude to the table and averting complaints and conflict; the importance of conversation; getting the whole family talking, laughing, and engaging with one another—and keeping it up over time.

Barbara Goldberg, author of The Evil Stepmother Speaks. Topic: A guide for stepfamilies who want to love and laugh Issues: Why doesn’t anyone in the stepfamily listen to me? Why doesn’t the biological parents see what I see? Why am I so frustrated? And many other questions stepmothers ask. Jennifer Tyler Lee, author of The 52 New Foods Challenge. Topic: A family cooking adventure for each week of the year. Issues: Creative ways to get your children to eat healthy, balanced meals; practical tips to change the way your family eats—one new food at a time; bringing back the joy of mealtimes; exploring new foods and bust boredom at your family table.