Leadership Development

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPEMENT

8 Powerful Ways to Mold Your Children Into Leaders

Forbes

The beauty of building children into leaders is that it’s the little things we do every day that mold them into the people they’ll become.

Youth Development & Youth Leadership

National Alliance for Secondary Education and Transition

Youth development is a process that prepares a young person to meet the challenges of adolescence and adulthood and achieve his or her full potential. Youth development is promoted through activities and experiences that help youth develop social, ethical, emotional, physical, and cognitive competencies.

Cars & Curfews

CARS & CURFEW

Manage Curfew Conflicts to Get Your Teen Home Safely

U.S. News - Health

Setting parameters together can help your child learn to make sensible decisions with their time.

Parent-Teen Driving Agreement

CDC - Parents Are The Key

Create a Parent-Teen Driving Agreement that puts your rules in writing to clearly set expectations and limits. Work with your teen to outline hazards to avoid and consequences for breaking rules. Keep it on the fridge and update it as your teen gains experience and more driving privileges.

Parents Are The Key to Safe Teen Drivers

CDC - Parents Are The Key

Having regular conversations about safety, practicing driving together, and leading by example go a long way in ensuring your teen makes smart decisions when they get behind the wheel.

Parenting Toolkit

PARENTING TOOLKIT

CARES Programs & Resources

VIDEO: Free Range Kids with Lenore Skenazy

CARES Program, Speaker: Lenore Skenazy

After her newspaper column “Why I Let My 9-Year-Old Ride the Subway Alone” landed her on NPR, Fox News, and everywhere in between, Lenore wrote Free-Range Kids, the book-turned-movement. She has been profiled in The New Yorker, hosted the reality show “World’s Worst Mom,” and has lectured everywhere from Disney to Microsoft to schools across the country.

You can learn more about Lenore Skenazy here.

VIDEO: How to Slay Together

CARES Program, author Katherine Wintsch

No one is perfect. How do we make peace with our imperfections and learn to celebrate ourselves? This program will help you understand why it’s essential to recognize our shortcomings and move forward, not just accepting, but also celebrating who we are.

VIDEO: The Ups, Downs, and All-Arounds of Middle School Friendships

CARES Program, October 2021

with Dr. Lauren Pote, PhD.

Leave feeling empowered understanding: How children interact at different ages and how healthy relationships develop, ways to foster independence in your child while navigating friendships, how to talk to your children about the “typical” challenges they may encounter, and how/when can parents get involved

VIDEO: Parenting QuaranTEENS into Growing TEENS

CARES Program, Andree Palmgren, LPC

Ready for spring? We sure are! A new season is a wonderful time to reset our parenting priorities and revive our teens’ developing sense of independence and autonomy. Spring will bring more opportunities for our teens to gather with their friends outside. How do we balance our teen’s social needs with our family’s guidelines?

VIDEO: The Art of Raising Kids Today

CARES Program, Dr. Lisa Damour, Dr. Michael Reichert

It is not boy versus girl. It is boy AND a girl. What is the same and what is different? Why should we differentiate them? Join Dr. Lisa Damour and Dr. Michael Reichert for an evening filled with lessons, myth busters and more.

VIDEO: What We've Learned Along the Way

CARES Program, October 2021

with Dr. Michelle Albright, PhD. As we sprint out of the gate, how do we keep the important family time & lessons we’ve learned intact? Family paths may have taken different twists and turns but remembering how we got there, is what matters. Set the pace for fall with tips and strategies to keep your family dynamics on the right path.

Build Extraordinary Relationships with Your Kids Through Daily Conversation

CARES Program, Amy Alamar, EdD

Raising healthy children with an ability to sustain meaningful relationships is a challenge even in the most ideal situations. Add on hormones, attitude, personality, and technology – welcome to tween and teen years. A recording of this program can be viewed here.

VIDEO: Social Skills Guide for Teens

CARES Program, Amanda Craig, PhD, LMFT

The stage between elementary and teen years is a little window called the tweens years where we see massive brain restructuring that will change our little kids into legit middle schoolers. The changes impact their social and emotional development in big ways.

What's Wrong (Right) With My Child?

CARES Program, Alexandra Potts

Understand and embrace the person your child will become. Our children will likely lead lives that are very different from ours. Our job is to help them understand themselves so they can thrive. It is not our job to make them happy nor make it all easy for them.

VIDEO: Endurance Parenting for Today

CARES Program, Cristina Young, LCSW

Cristina Young will address the importance of good self-care since this quarantine will require sustainability out of all of us. Cristina will provide concrete strategies that parents can put into action at the dinner table that night. Learn tips on how to manage conflicts, improve communication, and strengthen relationships within the family. 

VIDEO: Friendship Matters - Fostering Connections in Childhood

CARES Program, Dr. Lauren Pote

Come learn about friendship skills during each developmental stage. What can we expect our children to understand about friendship and how can we help them while fostering their independence?

VIDEO: Help Your Child Get Organized & Plan Ahead for Success in School with Less Stress

CARES Program

Learn how to help your child get organized and the best way to plan ahead for success in school!

VIDEO: Preschool/Elementary Positive Discipline

CARES Program<i?

Learn about positive discipline for preschool and elementary students in this program.

VIDEO: The Panini Generation

CARES Program

Do you feel sandwiched with the challenges of being a caregiver for an older family member while raising your own children? This panel will cover caregiver roles, adjusting expectations and alleviating caregiver stress.

VIDEO: Understanding the Teenage Brain - Keys to a Positive Relationship

CARES Program, Cristina Young, LCSW

Parents will learn to anticipate and understand the typical conflicts that arise with teens based on recent brain research. Parents will learn how to manage the emotions teens trigger in them. Parents should leave feeling better equipped to handle the highs and lows of the adolescent years.

VIDEO: Winter Isolation Survival Tips

CARES Program, Amanda Craig, PhD, LMFT

This winter may seem a little different than years before. Our younger children have gone through a massive pandemic and as winter approaches they may be gearing up for another round of isolation or an interruption in their social interactions

Mindful Parenting Tips

New Canaan CARES

Meaningful moments (it doesn’t have to be hours but it has to be time when
you are focused on them) with your child create a sense of connection which
builds resilience!

Homework Hints for Busy Families

New Canaan CARES

Homework can be tough for families in this busy day and age. Everyone is tired after a long day, and the activities schedule is packed. However, homework provides a time to review learning, prepare for the next day and to develop responsibility. Here are some thoughts to help you approach homework in a way that will have long-term value.

Giving Back: Creating Caring Communities

New Canaan CARES

Volunteer with your family and promote a family culture of caring.

Parenting Through Societal Pressures

New Canaan CARES, Jake Kircher

Our students are facing tremendous presumes: athletic, academic, social, and scheduling. How can we as parents help our students navigate these pressures?

Parent-Teacher Conference Tips

New Canaan CARES, Bunny Potts

Getting the most out of your parent-teacher conference: There are so many topics that parents and teachers discuss at conference time that the time slides by all too fast. Here are some hints to help you maximize the upcoming conference times with teachers.

Additional Resources

5-Day Mindfulness Challenge

LiveGirl

Practice mindfulness five days a week!

5 Empowering Ways to Get Your Kids to Listen

Parents.com

Having a hard time getting your children to follow directions? Me too. So my friends and I decided to try our own group therapy. Don’t laugh—it works!

10 Tips for Raising Grateful Kids

Child Mind Institute

We want our kids to be appreciative and not take things for granted, and learning to be grateful can improve kids’ relationships, ability to empathize, and overall happiness. If you are looking for ways to reinforce the importance of gratitude or would like to find other meaningful ways your kids can show appreciation, here are some tips

The 40 Developmental Assets

Search Institute

Children who have high levels of these assets get involved in fewer risky behaviors and are much more likely to exhibit the positive values, such as leadership, good health, diversity and success in school. We all have the power to build assets in our young people.

American Academy of Pediatrics Recommends Doctors Prescribe 'Play' to Children

Huffpost

One of the most powerful ways that children learn is by playing, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) emphasized. Play also helps buffer toxic stress, improves executive functioning, and builds relationships.

 

Effective Goal Setting

BigLifeJournal

Learn how to set effective goals with these tips!

How to Stay Calm with Your Teen When You Feel Like You're Going to Lose It

Your Teen Magazine

We all lose it with our kids sometimes. For many of us, the teen years can be rough. It’s not that teenagers are inherently terrible (really, I promise, they’re not), or that we parents are inherently flawed (again, I promise, we’re not). The point here is that conflict with your teen is a normal part of the parent-child relationship, and it doesn’t necessarily mean that you are doing anything wrong or that there is anything wrong with your kid.

How to Take the Stress Out of the Holidays

Child Mind Institute

Why are holidays so fraught? Because expectations are heightened, and holidays can feel like a test of how happy and successful your family is. And if you have children with psychiatric or learning disorders, even favorite traditions can turn into a test of stamina and patience

Mindful Brain Breaks

Big Life Journal

Being mindful is a great SUPERPOWER to have because it can help you feel
calm, focus, and even become healthier! And like with anything else, the more you practice the better you become at it. So start practicing being mindful using these Mindful Brain Breaks!

7 Fun Ways to Teach Your Kids Mindfulness

MindBodyGreen.com

“My hope for the mindfulness class was to give the kids some tools they can use anytime: tools to calm down, slow down and feel better when they are troubled. I sure wish I had these tools at my disposal when I was their age. Imagine if all the children around the Earth learned to use these tools during their childhoods. What a change our world would experience within just one generation!”

Nurturing Children in a Fast-Paced World

Alexandra Potts

We live in a very privileged yet demanding community where children have countless options for school-based and extra-curricular activities. This is the good news and the bad news. Each family must set its own course based on their own values and goals as well as the needs and wants of their children.

The 'Overparenting' Crisis in School and at Home

NPR

Have you ever paid your kid for good grades? Have you driven to school to drop off a forgotten assignment? Have you done a college student’s laundry? What about coming along to Junior’s first job interview? Parents are too worried about their children’s future achievements to allow them to work through the obstacles in their path

Parenting 101

Child Development Institute

The goal of parenting is to teach kids to develop self-discipline. When parents learn and apply the three Fs of Effective using the parenting techniques in this article, they find that yelling, screaming, and spanking disappear and a positive relationship is established. 

So How Can We Guide Children Without Punishment?

Aha! Parenting

When your child is hijacked by adrenaline and other fight or flight hormones, he can’t learn. Remember that all “misbehavior” is an expression, however misguided, of a legitimate need.

Role-Modeling

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

A role model is a person who serves as an example by influencing others. For many children, the most important role models are their parents and caregivers. Children look up to a variety of role models to help shape how they behave in school, relationships or when making difficult decisions.

Teaching Kids About Boundaries

Child Mind Institute

As kids get older, boundaries for social interaction are important too. They need to learn to set boundaries for themselves and respect those of others. And that takes empathy — being able to recognize what others want and need, as well as what they themselves want and need.

Survey Says Parents Crimp Teen's Transition to Adulthood

YourTeenMag.com

The Parenting Paradox—We Want Them to be Independent, But . . .

How to Create a Plan for Everyone in Your Family to Calm Down

Happily Family

Sometimes kids just need a good cry and to be held. But what are the other ways we can help our kids to calm down? And what about our own feelings? If we can calm ourselves down, then we role model and teach our kids to handle their own feelings.

How to Take the Stress Out of Family Gatherings

Child Mind Institute

Holidays are supposed to be happy family events, but a lot of times they can be very stressful.

The Letter Your Teenager Wishes He Could Write You

FilterFreeParents.com

“Dear Parent: This is the letter that I wish I could write. This fight we are in right now. I need it. I need this fight. I can’t tell you this because I don’t have the language for it and it wouldn’t make sense anyway. But I need this fight. Badly.”

Tips for Communicating With Your Teen

Child Mind Institute

The teenage years have a lot in common with the terrible twos. During both stages our kids are doing exciting new things, but they’re also pushing boundaries (and buttons) and throwing tantrums. The majordevelopmental task facing both age groups is also the same: kids must pull away from parents and begin to assert their own independence. No wonder they sometimes act as if they think they’re the center of the universe.

How to Avoid Raising a Spoiled Child

Parents.com

While you want to make your children happy, you also want to raise kind, compassionate people. You want them to become grateful and appreciative adults. Find the perfect balance with these expert tips.

Developing a Self-Care Plan

ReachOut.com

A self-care plan can help you enhance your health and wellbeing, manage your stress, and maintain professionalism as a worker with young people. Learn to identify activities and practices that support your wellbeing as a professional and help you to sustain positive self-care in the long-term.

Sleep & Bedtime Battles

SLEEP & BEDTIME BATTLES

"Go to Bed NOW!" Winning the Bedtime Battle with Young Kids and Teens

EmpoweringParents.com

As every parent knows, fights over bedtime can be one of the biggest power struggles you’ll have with your child, whether they’re five or fifteen. The truth is, many kids just don’t want to go to bed at night.

Bedtime Routines for School-Aged Children

HealthyChildren.org

Unless carefully managed, bedtime routines can be drawn out almost indefinitely, thus defeating the purpose for which they’re intended.

Family Resources

FAMILY RESOURCES

New Canaan Library

NewCanaanLibrary.org

At New Canaan Library, we are the community’s center for inspiration and discovery. The Library is the place to discover a new interest, learn a new skill and find a new passion. We make learning straightforward and efficient for everyone–whether it’s hands-on, listening to an expert, finding the right article or simply reading a book.

Chamber of Commerce Annual Events

New Canaan Chamber of Commerce

Each of the events was conceived as a way to encourage street traffic in the business district and/or provide fundraising opportunities for the Chamber or other local non-profits.

New Canaan Nature Center

NewCanaanNature.org

The New Canaan Nature Center is a not-for-profit environmental education organization dedicated to inspiring people of all ages to respect, protect, and enjoy the world of nature.

Family Goals: 25 Fun and Simple Ideas

BigLifeJournal.com

Here are 25 fun and simple ideas to improve in health/self-care, relationships, growth, and adventure.

The Family Table

The New York Times

Whether your family mealtime happens every night or only once a week, in the morning before school or late-night for just dessert, it’s important to take advantage of whatever opportunity you have to nourish the mind, soul and stomach of everyone at the table.

Starting the School Year

STARTING THE SCHOOL YEAR

CARES Programs & Resources

Tips to Start the School Year Off Right!

New Canaan CARES

Starting the school doesn’t need to be stressful for you and your family. These tips will help you start the school year right!

Additional Resources

7 Back-to-School Strategies to Help You Stress Less and Simplify Your Life

Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health

If you’re feeling some anxiety around the all the transitions, juggling, and driving that usually accompany a new school year, take a deep breath, pause, and consider the following ideas for a simpler, less stressful school year

I'm a Teacher - And This is What Parents Should Know

YourTeenMag.com

As a teacher of eight years and a parent to three sons, I get it. Parents crave more information about their kids. As an educator, this is what I wish parents knew about the daily life of most teens at school.

7 Things to Tell the Teacher About Your Child

Child Mind Institute

What can you tell a teacher that will help him do his job better? You might be surprised. While your child’s teacher is the expert in education, no one knows more about your child than you do. It’s just as important for parents to tell teachers about issues at home that may affect school performance as it is for teachers to report how children are doing in the classroom.

Learning Styles

LEARNING STYLES

CARES Programs & Resources

Personality & Learning Styles

New Canaan CARES with Alexandra Potts

Learn about personality and learning styles in this CARES program.

Additional Resources

Understanding Your Child's Learning Style

Grow by WebMD

Don’t panic if your son has trouble spelling or your daughter can’t sit still during history class. It may be that he or she simply has a different learning style. Every child learns in a slightly different way, experts say, and figuring out your child’s own learning style can help assure academic success.

Empowering Your Preschooler

EMPOWERING YOUR PRESCHOOLER

CARES Programs & Resources

How to Talk So Little Kids Will Listen

CARES Program, Beth O'Brien - Head of Early Childhood at New Canaan Country School

Help your little kids grow into self-reliant big kids who are positively connected to their parents, teachers, siblings and peers. This program will equip you with strategies for communicating effectively with the young children in your life.

The Power and Purpose of Play

CARES Program, Beth O'Brien - Head of Early Childhood at New Canaan Country School

Beth O’Brien will share the various characteristics of different types of play and the specific skills each one builds. She will also offer guidance on how to foster opportunities and promote play for children. A recording of this program can be accessed here.

Promoting a Smooth Transition to Kindergarten (2019)

CARES Program

A presentation and conversation about preparation for kindergarten, including social, emotional, and developmental milestones.

Empowering Your Child

New Canaan CARES

A worksheet to help parents empower their children – learn about responsibility and building confidence.

Additional Resources

5 Empowering Ways to Get Your Kids to Listen

Parents.com

Having a hard time getting your children to follow directions? Me too.

Flying Solo: Raise an Independent Kid

Parents.com

It may be hard to hear, but there are times when your child is better off without you.

Growing Independence: Tips for Parents of Young Children

HealthyChildren.org

As you teach your child how to be independent, you also need to teach how to be safe.

If You Want Your Kid to Get a Good Job, Let Them Play More

Quartz

“Play is a primary, indeed a primal, way that we learn to understand and experience the world around us.”

Play is Key to Kids' Health, US Pediatricians Say

Web MD

Play is a crucial way for kids to develop social and mental skills, head off stress and build a healthy bond with parents.

What NOT To Do When Your Child Is Having a Tantrum

Child Mind Institute

Even when we know, as parents, how we should respond to a tantrum, in the heat of the moment we find it hard to resist doing the wrong thing — something that not only doesn’t work but makes things worse. Taking a moment to consider why it’s particularly crucial to avoid these responses, with some tips on how to do so, can help cement your resolve not to turn to them reflexively

College Readiness Transition

COLLEGE READINESS TRANSITION

CARES Programs & Resources

VIDEO: Under Pressure with Dr. Suniya Luthar

CARES Program

Why are students in affluent communities considered at risk, and what role does adult self-care play in all of this? Join CARES for a conversation with Dr. Suniya Luthar. She addresses why the rates of depression, anxiety and rule-breaking in high-performing communities are higher than the national average and provides us with tools to change the culture.

College Transition After the Drop-Off

CARES Program

Learn more about how the transition to college continues for both parents and students after dorm drop-off. 

Additional Resources

7 Parent Tips on How to Prepared Your Student for College

Active Minds

Without a doubt, the transition to college can be overwhelming for some students. Coupled with the fact that many mental health issues often emerge during an individual’s early twenties, it’s important for parents to have a mental health checklist on hand. What can you as a parent do? Check out these tips on how to empower your student to successfully navigate the unfamiliar waters of college life

Eight Pieces of Wisdom for Parents Sending a Child Off to College

The Washington Post

After saying goodbye to your college student on move-in day, one of the hardest things to come to grips with at home is the yawning lack of information. You’re excluded from your student’s experience in a new, jarring way, and no one will invite you in except your student — and that’s only if they want to. That doesn’t mean you disappear from their lives; far from it. But it does mean you play a different role.

How Parents Are Robbing Their Children of Adulthood

The New York Times

Helicopter parenting, the practice of hovering anxiously near one’s children, monitoring their every activity, is so 20th century. Some affluent mothers and fathers now are more like snowplows: machines chugging ahead, clearing any obstacles in their child’s path to success, so they don’t have to encounter failure, frustration or lost opportunities.

Learning That My Children's College Choices Don't Define Them. Or Me.

The Washington Post

“It’s not just the competitive process of my child getting into school that I dread, but the competition among fellow parents. It can be equally intense, and I fear getting snagged by its sharp teeth.”

Preparing for College Emotionally, Not Just Academically

Child Mind Institute

The transition to college can be hard on kids’ mental health. Teenagers living away from home for the first time may experience academic stress while also trying to make new friends, build routines, and stay physically healthy. All these changes at once can be overwhelming for college kids.

Dear Parents: The Transition to College Can Be Rough (And That's Okay)

YourTeenMag.com

And while this is an emotionally wrenching period for you, the transition can be even harder for them. And I’m here to tell you that you don’t just wash your hands and surrender your parenting badge when you drive away from campus. For my kids, freshman year of college was a rocky couple of months when they needed more emotional support than probably any of us had anticipated.

Presentation Slides

PRESENTATION SLIDES

A Parent’s Guide to Modern Teen Dating

Build Extraordinary Relationships with Your Tween/Teen Through Daily Conversation – Amy Alamar, EdD

Has Gaming Taken Over?

How to Talk so Little Kids Will Listen

Power and Purpose of Play – Beth O’Brien, Head of Early Childhood, New Canaan Country School

Reefer Sanity – Kevin A, Sabet, PhD

Riding the Roller Coaster of the Adolescent Brain – Ruth A. Potee, MD

Staying Calm in the Storm – Julie Hall, MBA, MS LMFT

Tantrums, Toys and Traditions – Barbara McLaughlin

Transition to Kindergarten – NCPS

What is (Wrong) Right with my Child – Alexandra Potts