Register for ParentEd Talks Chicago 2023-24

You’re parenting in a time like no other. And you have a village that’s here to help. Welcome to Chicago Parent’s ParentEd Talks. This exclusive, FREE virtual speaker series features some of the nation’s top parenting experts — all offering support to Chicagoland families just like you. Their singular goal? To help you solve your toughest parenting challenges. These chats offer up some welcome perspective, along with opportunities to ask questions and hear from other parents in your community and beyond. Join us for pro insights and engaging discussions that will enrich, educate and inspire you on your parenting journey!

An all-new lineup of our ParentEd Talks 2023-2024 series is here! Upcoming talks include:

Signing up is quick, easy and free. Click on each topic to learn more and register directly on Eventbrite. Or, sign up for all 13 events in just one click. Not sure you’ll be able to make it? We get it! That’s why we’ll always send you the full video replay after the event. Note: Topics and dates may be subject to changes as necessary.

Meet the moderator, Laura Kastner, Ph.D.

Laura Kastner, Ph.D., is the author of a number of parenting books, including the acclaimed “Getting to Calm: Cool-Headed Strategies for Parenting Tweens and Teens” and “Getting to Calm: The Early Years.” Kastner is frequently interviewed in the media and presents lectures to the public on a wide range of family and child development topics in settings across the United States. She is a clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Washington, and maintains a clinical practice in which she sees children, couples and families.

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Upcoming Events

TOPIC

Parenting SOS: Expert Answers to Your Burning Questions

When: March 27, 2024
Speaker: Laura Kastner
Our kids are constantly changing. Advice for parents is, too. So, we’re phoning friends and calling in an expert. Join us for an intimate hour of conversation with Dr. Laura Kastner, an internationally recognized clinical psychologist, author, researcher and veteran parent. We’ve selected a diverse group of parents to ask some of our most burning questions.

Audience: Parents of children of all ages

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TOPIC

Stronger Together: A New Model for Modern Marriage

When: April 16, 2024
Speaker: Nate Klemp, Ph.D., and Kaley Klemp
Have an hour to spare to utterly transform the fundamental way you approach your personal and professional partnerships? Back by popular demand, Nate and Kaley Klemp, two of the most respected voices in the field of modern relationships, will impart key insights of their 80/80 model, which is based on the concept and practice of “radical generosity.” Stop keeping a 50–50 score and learn game-changing strategies for redesigning the structure of your partnership based on principles that will result in shared success and lasting satisfaction.

Audience: Parents of children of all ages

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TOPIC

What’s Love Got to Do With It? The Power of Nurturing Yourself First

When: May 1, 2024
Speaker: Yaffa Maritz, LMHC, and Kelly Moore
Mindful self-compassion experts Yaffa Maritz, LMHC, and Kelly Moore believe that by supporting parents and creating nurturing communities for them, we can set the foundation for the positive development of children’s social, emotional and mental health. In this can’t-miss talk, these veteran facilitators will teach parents how to cultivate a habit of restorative self-compassion, outfitting them with powerful techniques for developing greater self-awareness, self-reflection, self-care, resilience and connection.

Audience: Parents of children of all ages

TOPIC

Calm and Connected: Coaching Coping Skills in Your Children

When: June 5, 2024
Speaker: Janine Halloran, LMHC
If the pandemic taught us anything, it’s that it is more important than ever to cultivate coping and resilience skills in our kids. Mental health counselor and author Janine Halloran will draw on her decades of experience working with children and families to impart practical strategies and tools to help kids and teens develop the coping, self-regula- tion and social skills they need to manage stress, anxiety and other common mental health challenges.

Audience: Parents of children of all ages

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Past Events

TOPIC

Powerful Truths: Understanding Our Bias to Build a Better Future

When: Sept. 18, 2023
Speaker: Khalil Gibran Muhammad, Ph.D.
Join ParentMap for a captivating virtual talk by Khalil Gibran Muhammad, Ph.D., one of the nation’s leading scholars on race, democracy, inequality and criminal justice, about the history of anti-Black racism in America and its continuing impact on our society today. Whether you are a parent or a teen, this talk will provide you with the tools and motivation to better understand and engage with the complex issues of race and inequality that challenge our country.

Audience: Parents of children of all ages

TOPIC

Atypical Approaches: Unlock the Brilliance and Beauty of Your Differently-Wired Kid

When: Oct. 10, 2023
Speakers: Debbie Reber
When parents are struggling with challenging behavior or having a difficult time accepting their child’s neurodivergence, the parent-child relationship can suffer. This talk by parent activist and bestselling author Debbie Reber will focus on ways to deepen the connection with our differently wired child and provide them the support they need to thrive, from strategies for more effective communication, to understanding and tapping into their unique strengths and challenges.

Audience: Parents of atypical learners

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TOPIC

The Power of Relationships: Nurturing Compassion and Resilience in Children

When: Oct. 24, 2023
Speaker: Sam Goldstein, Ph.D., and Robert B. Brooks, Ph.D.
In this talk, leading child development experts Sam Goldstein, Ph.D., and Robert B. Brooks, Ph.D., will present the latest research on resilience as well as practical, empowering strategies for fostering strength, courage and tenacity in children. Goldstein and Brooks will inspire you to rethink how you parent, socialize and educate your children, detailing a compassionate, actionable approach that has helped countless parents overcome obstacles to ease their kids’ transition into adulthood.

Audience: Parents of children of all ages

TOPIC

The Future is Now: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of AI and What to Do About It

When: Nov. 21, 2023
Speaker: Christine Rosen, Ph.D.
Christine Rosen, Ph.D., an groundbreaking — and disruptive — impacts of emerging generative AI technologies such as ChatGPT. Rosen will illuminate the ways parents can help their children navigate the positive potentials and possible pitfalls of AI, and outline sensible guidelines that will insulate children’s overall well-being as they explore the full spectrum of “promise and peril.”

Audience: Parents of children of all ages

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TOPIC

Unplug and Rewire: Raising Screen-Savvy Kids in the Tech Era

When: Dec. 6, 2023
Speaker: Joe Clement and Matt Miles
Joe Clement and Matt Miles are veteran teachers who have witnessed the impact of technology overuse by our children firsthand. In this energizing talk, they will share their insights on the challenges of raising screen-savvy kids and provide practical strategies for promoting healthy technology habits. Whether you are struggling with screen-time challenges in your family life or simply seeking to learn more about this important issue, this talk is not to be missed.

Audience: Parents of children of all ages

TOPIC

Brave Listening: The Secret to Safeguarding Your Child’s Mental Health

When: Jan. 10, 2024
Speakers: Stacey Freedenthal, Ph.D., LCSW
As the prevalence of mental health concerns among young people continues to rise, it is more important than ever for parents to understand how to recognize the warning signs of suicide. In this essential talk, mental health expert Stacey Freedenthal, Ph.D., LCSW, will guide parents through the sensitive and challenging topic of supporting their child’s mental health. Among the powerful strategies Freedenthal will outline is brave listening, which not only helps our children feel seen, heard and supported, but can literally be the difference between life and death.

Audience: Parents of children of all ages

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TOPIC

Nurturing the Healing Power of Play for Ourselves and for Our Children

When: Jan. 23, 2024
Speaker: Mike Browne, Amelia Bachleda, Ph.D.
Humans play to explore, learn, connect and grow — this is as true for adults as it is for children. Join Amelia Bachleda, Ph.D. from the Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences in conversation with Mike Browne, senior director of Community Engagement for Cultivate Learning at the University of Washington, for an engaging conversation about the science of play, its critical role in our lives and how to advocate for play in all of its forms.

Audience: Parents of children of all ages

TOPIC

Conscious: Curious, Connected Discipline Strategies for Happier, Healthier Kids

When: Feb. 6, 2024
Speaker: Julietta Skoog
Parenting expert Julietta Skoog will share her insights on the power of conscious discipline in this talk that explores the latest research on the impact of positive parenting practices on children’s development. Drawing from her practical experience working with thousands of students and parenting her own three children, Skoog compassionately translates research, child development expertise and Positive Discipline principles into everyday parenting solutions that have helped countless families discover greater joy, connection and calm.

Audience: Parents of kids in preschool and elementary school

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TOPIC

Technology’s Child: Empowered Parenting in the Digital Age

When: March 5, 2024
Speaker: Katie Davis, Ph.D.
From toddlers exploring their immediate environment to twentysomethings charting their place in society, children’s experiences with technology — their “screen time” and digital social relationships — have become an inescapable aspect of growing up. And no matter the age or stage, parents want to ensure the safety of and best outcomes for their children. In this talk, Katie Davis, Ph.D., will draw on her expertise in developmental science and design research to help parents chart a healthy and balanced relationship between their children and technology.

Audience: Parents of children of all ages