If you are looking to host a parent education event at your daycare, preschool, school or in your community, Bridgett has a list of topics to choose from.
Bridgett is an authorized facilitator of the Neufeld Institute. She offers single session workshops and multi session courses suitable for parents and educators. Bridgett draws on her almost two decades of teaching experience to help illustrate the material in a true-to-life and engaging way. Talks are typically two hours in duration, allowing for some open discussion before closing.
Educators: Neufeld Institute Certificates of Attendance presented to those in attendance requiring ECE Professional Development hours. Available upon request.
The following presentations are based on the developmental-relational approach of Dr Gordon Neufeld. For full course details and more information about the Neufeld Institute and the resources they offer, please visit www.neufeldinstitute.org
Making Sense of Resistance and Defiance
Adults are frequently perplexed by children who appear to do the opposite of what is asked or expected of them. This instinctive reaction known as Counterwill can take many forms: Opposition, negativism, laziness, noncompliance, disrespect, lack of motivation, belligerence and even resistance to learning. We need to deepen our connection with our children if we want them to follow our lead. This talk will focus on what’s driving our children to act out in these ways and what we can do to support them (and ourselves!) through it.
Making Sense of Anxiety
The escalating level of anxiety in our children begs for an explanation as well as a solution. This Neufeld course sheds light on this age-old problem, paving the way for natural interventions that can get to the root causes as opposed to just managing symptoms. Although the focus is on children, this enlightening material will benefit anyone suffering from anxiety.
Who’s the Boss?
A growing number of children and youth are presenting as demanding, prescriptive, bossy and controlling. Alpha children push our buttons and can be challenging and often exhausting to manage. By their very nature, they are likely to present with troubling behaviour. This workshop unpacks the alpha dynamic and addresses how to restore the natural balance to the child-adult relationship. The principles are applicable to all ages.
Discipline – What ‘works’, what doesn’t and why?
Two of the most common questions asked by parents are ‘How should I discipline my child? and ‘What should I do when…?’ The answers can be found in our understanding of the underlying emotions and instincts in a child. This talk will focus on what children need for healthy development, what attachment-safe and developmentally friendly discipline strategies are and why many common discipline practices like timeouts and consequences often backfire in the long run. Material applicable to all ages.
True Play builds the Brain
Play - at least the kind that builds brains and forwards development - is becoming an endangered activity among those who need to engage in it most. We live in an age of electronics and scheduled activities and seem to be moving away from what we once understood play to be. Parents will learn more about why children need to play and what they can do to provide the conditions needed for true play to result.
Understanding Tantrums
Tantrums can include various aggressive behaviours including hitting, biting, irritability, impatience, self-harming, acting mean or rude. These actions are deeply rooted in instinct and emotion and are often resistant to conventional discipline practices. If we want to help our children through them, we need to understand what’s going on for them from the inside out. Principles applicable to children of all ages.
Why do young children do that?
This talk will focus on three natural shortcomings in young children that frequently confuse and sometimes infuriate the adults who take care of them. Insight into their unrestrained nature, their characteristic inconsiderateness and their tendency to experience separation problems will be offered, as well as how we can set the stage for the developmental resolution.
What do young children really need?
This talk will address the three needs that form the bedrock of healthy development in young children. These needs are deceptively simple yet incredibly profound in their simplicity. We will explore the role of true play, how to provide emotional rest and how to support children through their tears. Once we understand what is needed from us we can provide the conditions that support healthy development.
Navigating Three Typical Problems
This talk will focus on common troubling childhood behaviours. These include: tantrums and aggression, resistance and defiance, and shyness and timidity. Typically, adults try and tackle these concerns by attempting to prune out socially unacceptable behaviour without realizing that when we battle against the symptoms of immaturity, we undermine children’s ability to grow out of these transient problems.
Six Common Parenting Mistakes to Avoid
The six most common mistakes are discussed and suggestions are provided for how to avoid these pitfalls with young children. Topics include: premature focus on socialization, instruction-based schooling and getting a head start, putting children in the lead and parenting-on-demand, pushing independence and our pre-occupation with getting good behaviour.
Insight into common challenges evident in children of all ages:
- Anxiety
- Aggression
- Alpha Children
- Adolescence
- Attention Problems
- Bedtime Challenges
- Discipline Concerns
- Defiance and Opposition
- Frustration
- Separation Anxiety
- Sensitivity
- Sibling Rivalry
- Tantrums
- Tears
- Peer Pressure
- Preschoolers
- Resistance
Email info@bridgettmiller.com or click here to request more information, to book an appointment or to inquire about rates.
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