Conference Schedule

Day 1 - Oct. 21, 2020

Facing Challenges with Courage: Fostering Knowledge and Skills
to Thrive in the Early Years and Beyond

Vanessa Levin

Choosing the Right Preschool Path
for Your Family

You will learn:

To redefine education in a way that empowers you and your child.
Common myths about early childhood education that distract us from what toddlers really need.
What it means to be your child’s first teacher and powerful ways to support learning.
How to create the best educational plan for your unique child.
What to think about before you start looking at school for your child.
4 steps for choosing a school that meets your child’s needs.
The ideal age for children to start school.

Vanessa Levin is a passionate advocate for high-quality early childhood education. She is also the founder of the popular website, Pre-K Pages and the author of How to Teach the Alphabet: A Proven Approach to Early Literacy to be released in early 2021. Over the past 28 years Vanessa has served as classroom teacher, instructional coach, instructional designer, and professional development consultant.

Charnaie Gordon

Talking to Toddlers About Diversity
and Inclusion Through Books

You will learn:

How to define diversity and inclusion, and why it matters. This conversation matters - especially in the early years.
When to start the diversity and inclusive conversation with your child.
Why this conversation feels awkward and how to move past the discomfort.
The danger in saying “I don’t see color”.
How to create diverse experiences for your toddler inside and outside your home.
What to look for in books about diversity.

Charnaie Gordon's passion for diversity and inclusion is driven by a desire for everyone to have his or her own voice, whether it be through books, television, or other media. She believes it’s important that people of all races, and all ethnicities, are able to see themselves represented and included. Charnaie’s blog, Here Wee Read, is where she expresses her creativity and passion for reading, diverse literature, and literacy. More than anything else, Charnaie cares about connecting people with great books that they love because she believes that books are an absolute necessity. Charnaie is a computer programmer by day, blogger and influencer by night, and a wife and mother of two 24/7. She is also a self-proclaimed lifelong learner, podcast junkie, and diversity and inclusion expert.

In addition to her blog and social media, you can find Charnaie’s work at Brightly where she is a contributing writer. She’s also the founder of her children’s literacy organization 50 States 50 Books where they collect and donate diverse children’s books to deserving kids in each of the 50 U.S. states. Charnaie is currently in the process of co-authoring her first children’s picture book slated for publication in 2021 with Sleeping Bear Press.

Shanicia Boswell

Simple Steps for Diversifying
Play Time for Your Children

You will learn:

What it means to diversify playtime and why it matters.
4 areas of diversity to focus on and incorporate into your child’s life.
What a “safe circle” is and how to create it.
5 ways to invite diversity into your child’s life today.
The relationship between celebrating diversity and self-love.
How to relieve the pressure of “getting it right” and cultivate self-love in the process.

Shanicia Boswell is the founder of Black Moms Blog, a collaborative community that speaks on parenting, culture, and lifestyle from a Black mom’s point of view. A pioneer of Black motherhood and mama self care, Shanicia works to help mothers find a healthy balance between their personal time and parenting. Her views on parenting have been featured on The OWN Network, HLN, and in the New York Times.

Christine Fonseca

Helping Toddlers Grieve Death,
Divorce and Other Losses

You will learn:

How toddlers feel and understand grief - especially death.
All of the sources of grief outside of death.
How to explain death and divorce to a toddler.
What to expect emotionally and behaviorally from a grieving toddler.
Red flags that signal your toddler needs professional support with their grief.
Exactly how to support a grieving toddler even when you are grieving yourself.

As a Licensed Educational Psychologist (LEP), Christine Fonseca is dedicated to helping children and adults connect with their personal truth. She is an award winning author of both non-fiction and fiction, a nationally recognized speaker on topics related to educational psychology, and giftedness, and an international consultant and coach. Christine has written self-help articles for Parents.com, Johnson & Johnson, and Justine Magazine and currently writes a parenting blog on Psychology Today. Her critically acclaimed titles include Emotional Intensity in Gifted Students and Letting Go: A Girl’s Guide to Breaking Free From Stress and Anxiety. You can find her online at www.christinefonseca.com

Kanchan Koya Ph.D.

Raising Adventurous Eaters

You will learn:

Misconceptions about picky eating in the toddler years.
What to expect when raising an adventurous eater.
Easy ways to make food more exciting and fun.
Tools and strategies for raising an adventurous eater.
Several toddler-friendly spices and their health benefits.
What to do when you are met with resistance from your toddler.

Kanchan Koya has a PhD in Molecular Cancer Biology from Harvard Medical School, a Health Coaching Certification from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition and is fighting for a disease free world one delicious, healthy meal at a time. Kanchan is the founder of Spice Spice Baby, a platform dedicated to shedding light on the science backed benefits of ancient spices and inspiring their use in kitchens worldwide. Kanchan believes that by feeding our kids and families spices and other bountiful foods from Mother Nature, we can truly tap into our inner vitality and live our most vibrant lives.

Day 2 - Oct. 22, 2020

Creating Calm Through the Choas of the Early Years

Sue DeCaro

Raising Respectful Listeners

You will learn:

Why toddlers need us to repeat ourselves.
2 key ingredients for raising respectful listeners.
The real meaning of respect in the adult-child relationship.
The importance of body language and eye contact in listening.
What to do when your toddler says “No”.
The power of reflection, cultivating your ability to listen to yourself and your child.

Sue is a heart-centered coach, educator, motivational speaker, and writer, working with individuals, corporations and families around the globe to navigate life’s daily challenges. While integrating education, consciousness, and coaching, Sue helps individuals to feel empowered, grow and thrive. Her passion is to help people deeply connect to themselves, to their children, and of course, to the world around them, creating a brighter future. Sue serves as a Guest Parent Specialist/Coach for Mindvalley University Training and an esteemed member on the 24 hour virtual help desk support team for Mindvalley.com month-long summer event in Pula, Croatia, 2019.

Sue has had writings featured in various online publications and magazines. She has presented at events featuring Dr. Shefali Tsabary, Neale Donald Walsch, Marianne Williamson, Anita Moorjani, and John O’Sullivan. Sue has been an invited guest on radio shows and podcasts and has also appeared on Television, on The Dr. Nandi Show as well as a number of appearances on FOX 29, Good Day Philadelphia. You can find her online at www.decaroparentcoaching.com.

Nicole Kavanaugh

How to Raise a Life-Long Helper
and Meet Your Toddler’s
Need to Feel Capable

You will learn:

What makes the toddler years foundational when it comes to raising a helper.
How to support the development of your toddler’s attention span and ability to concentrate.
What “Practical Life” is and how it meets your toddler’s developmental needs.
Common myths that prevent children growing into the team players we imagine.
2 ways we unknowingly squash our toddler’s intrinsic desire to help and feel capable.
The three easiest areas to incorporate practical life activities in toddlers.
What to do when your child says no when you offer a choice.
How to use the environment to set limits.

Nicole Kavanaugh is the writer behind The Kavanaugh Report where she shares about her family's journey with Montessori. Through her website, social media, and her podcast, Shelf Help, she helps families find the joy of Montessori for themselves. Most importantly, Nicole is mom to four wonderful children.

Rick Hanson, Ph.D.

Responding to Toddler Wants
with Calm and Compassion

You will learn:

The main source of conflict between adults and toddlers, and how to shift it.
Types of toddler wants and needs that influence their behavior.
4 questions to ask yourself to support you in listening deeply to your child behind their surface behavior.
How to effectively respond to your toddlers wants with compassion while keeping boundaries.
A 4 point checklist to support you when your wants clash with your toddlers wants.

Rick Hanson, PhD is a psychologist, Senior Fellow of UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, and New York Times best-selling author. His books have been published in 29 languages and include Neurodharma, Resilient, Hardwiring Happiness, Buddha’s Brain, Just One Thing, and Mother Nurture – with 900,000 copies in English alone. His free weekly newsletter has 150,000 subscribers and his online programs have scholarships available for those with financial need. He’s lectured at NASA, Google, Oxford, and Harvard, and taught in meditation centers worldwide. An expert on positive neuroplasticity, his work has been featured on the BBC, CBS, NPR, and other major media. He began meditating in 1974 and is the founder of the Wellspring Institute for Neuroscience and Contemplative Wisdom. He loves wilderness and taking a break from emails. You can find him online at www.rickhanson.net.

Brad Yates

Tapping Into Peaceful Parenting

You will learn:

A powerful way to relieve stress and create more peace in your life and parenting.
What Tapping (EFT) is and what studies say about it.
The mechanics behind getting upset and how tapping can calm you down.
The exact steps you need to tap to release the frustration, fear and guilt that blocks your parenting.
Everything you need to know to get started tapping today.

Brad Yates is known internationally for his creative and often humorous use of Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT). Brad is the author of the best-selling children's book "The Wizard's Wish," the co-author of the best-seller "Freedom at Your Fingertips," and a featured expert in the film “The Tapping Solution.” He has also been a presenter at a number of events, including Jack Canfield's Breakthrough to Success, has done teleseminars with “The Secret” stars Bob Doyle and Dr. Joe Vitale, and has been heard internationally on a number of internet radio talk shows. Brad also has well over 900 videos on YouTube, that have been viewed over 29 million times. More info is available at www.tapwithbrad.com

Suzanne Tucker, PT

Nurturing Kindness Without
Shame, Blame and Fear

You will learn:

The #1 misconception around nurturing kindness in the toddler years.
How shame, blame, guilt and fear get in the way of nurturing kindness.
The difference between empathy and compassion and their role in cultivating kindness.
What mirror neurons are and how they support emotional regulation.
The 3 keys to supporting your toddler in cultivating emotional regulation.
Two research-based tools you can use to nurturing emotional regulation in your toddler.

Suzanne Tucker, Founder, Generation Mindful has been a physical therapist, and parent educator since 1992. Suzanne founded Brentwood Center of Health, a holistic outpatient rehabilitation center in 2002 with her husband and has been teaching mindful parenting classes, including infant massage, for over two decades. In 2016, after a parent in one of her classes asked for help finding more practical ways to incorporate positive parenting into her busy life, Suzanne was inspired to found Generation Mindful, a mission-driven company creating educational products that connect the generations and build emotional intelligence playfully. Generation Mindful creates evidence-based, affirming tools for children, parents, educators, and therapists and is on a mission to end punitive child-rearing practices around the world.

Susie Allison

Using Play to Nurture Toddler
Development and Self Control

You will learn:

Your role as an adult in play and why you need time for adult play as well.
The benefits of sensory play and how to overcome the obstacles around it.
The number one indicator for success in life and how play impacts it.
Why rote learning and memorization.
3 ways toddlers learn and how to fit it into life effortlessly.
Simple ways to create play opportunities that span different ages and support the development of foundational skills.
3 ingredients to create independent play and what to expect in the toddler years.

Susie Allison is an early childhood education advocate and mother of 3. She's also the creator of the million-follower Instagram account @busytoddler. Her Instagram page and website, BusyToddler.com has been featured on Good Morning America, Headline News, Canada's Your Morning, and Fox News. Susie has a degree in Elementary Education, eight years of teaching experience, and a passion for appropriate early childhood learning. Susie's realistic advice and simple approach to raising children has helped countless parents around the world.

Day 3 - Oct. 23, 2020

Diving Deep Into Toddler Development to Create Confidence and Connection

Dr. Laura Markham

What Toddlers Need to Thrive

You will learn:

3 things every toddler needs to thrive.
What is happening in your toddlers brain and how it impacts their behavior.
How your ability to stay calm impacts your toddler’s development of resilience.
A 3 word mantra that will calm you down when you want to yell.
The importance of creating a secure attachment for your toddler and how to do it.
Common misconceptions about attachment and toddler behavior that disempower you.
How we accidentally negatively impact a toddlers confidence development.
How to support your toddlers developmental drive to experiment and explore.

Dr. Laura Markham is the author of Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids: How To Stop Yelling and Start Connecting, Peaceful Parent, Happy Siblings: How To Stop the Fighting and Raise Friends for Life, and now her latest book, The Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids Workbook: Using mindfulness and connection to raise resilient, joyful children and rediscover your love of parenting.

Dr. Laura Markham earned her PhD in clinical psychology at Columbia University and has worked as a parenting coach with countless families across the world. Over 150,000 moms and dads enjoy Dr. Laura’s free weekly coaching posts via email. You can sign up on any page of her website, Aha-Parenting.com, which serves up Aha! Moments for parents of babies through teens. Dr. Laura’s aspiration is to change the world, one child at a time, by supporting parents. The proud mother of two thriving young adults who were raised with her peaceful parenting approach, she lives with her husband in New York.

Dr. Tina Payne Bryson

Nurturing Brain Development Through Attachment and Emotional Safety

You will learn:

The 2 biggest mistakes we unknowingly make in the toddler years.
A tool to help your toddler process big T and little t trauma.
#1 best predictor in being able to provide secure attachment to your child.
3 reasons spanking does more harm than good.
The 4 S’s of showing up for your child and creating secure attachment.
How to repair the adult-child relationship after you lose it.

Dr. Tina Payne Bryson is the co-author (with Dan Siegel) of two New York Times Best Sellers—The Whole-Brain Child and No-Drama Discipline—each of which has been translated into dozens of languages, as well as The Yes Brain and The Power of Showing Up and the forthcoming Bottom Line for Baby. She is the Founder and Executive Director of The Center for Connection, a multidisciplinary clinical practice in Southern California. Dr. Bryson keynotes conferences and conducts workshops for parents, educators, and clinicians all over the world, and she frequently consults with schools, businesses, and other organizations.  An LCSW, Tina is a graduate of Baylor University with a Ph.D. from USC. The most important part of her bio, she says, is that she’s a mom to her three boys. You can learn more about Dr. Bryson at TinaBryson.com.

Brooke Dwyer & Bridget Hillsberg

Meeting Speech and Language

Milestones With Confidence

You will learn:

Speech and language milestones in the toddler years.
Common misconceptions about milestones and what you can do to help your child meet them.
How to identify if a child is late to talk and what action to take when you notice red flags.
What contributes to speech delays.
What receptive language is and why it’s the foundation of communication.

We are sisters, mothers and speech therapists who have owned a private practice is southern California for the last 8 years, where we specialize in helping children who are late to talk and educating their parents on the important role they play in their child’s language development. About a year ago we decided to start Speech Sisters so that we could reach, educate and empower more parents. We created an Instagram account and developed two online courses where we share tips, tricks and strategies that parents can incorporate into their everyday routines and playtime. Our resources educate parents on how they can help their little ones meet their communication milestones by maximizing language learning opportunities throughout the day!

Mona Delahooke, Ph.D.

Closing the Expectation Gap
For a More Peaceful Toddlerhood

You will learn:

Why it’s time to look at toddler behavior outside of labeling it good/bad.
What the “expectation gap” is in toddlerhood and how it impacts your parenting.
How to shift your fear around your toddler’s behavior.
How your toddler’s nervous system impacts their emotional regulation.
The role of compassion in creating realistic expectations and staying calm.
How to help your toddler develop emotional regulation.

Mona Delahooke, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist with more than 30 years of experience caring for children and their families. Dr. Delahooke holds the highest level of endorsement in the field of infant and toddler mental health in California, as a Reflective Practice Mentor (RPM). She is the author of Beyond Behaviors: Using Brain Science and Compassion to Understand and Solve Children’s Behavioral Challenges (PESI, 2019), and Social and Emotional Development in Early Intervention: A Skills Guide for Working with Children. She's a mother of three daughters whom she adores. You can find her online at www.monadelahooke.com

Patty Wipfler

How Tantrums Support Your Child's Development and What You Can Do to Help

You will learn:

3 common myths about tantrums and what’s really happening.
What an “emotional poop” is and why we all need one.
What it means to trust your toddler.
How emotional releases support development.
What to do when your toddler has a tantrum.

Patty Wipfler is the Hand in Hand Parenting Founder and Program Director. Her 45 years of work with parents and children have given rise to Parenting by Connection, a simple but powerful parenting approach that nurtures the parent-child connection. Hand in Hand Parenting works with parents and professionals in the US and 17 other countries, offering transformative ideas and support.

With co-author Tosha Schore, MA, she has written Listen: Five Simple Tools to Meet Your Everyday Parenting Challenges, available in print and audio.

Elisa Song, M.D.

Building a Strong

Immune System

You will learn:

What immune resilience is and why it matters .
2 common myths parents and caregivers have around building a strong immune system.
What your toddler’s fever means and what to do.
The role of your child’s nervous system in immune reliance.
How sugar impacts the immune system and how much sugar is ok for a toddler.
Mindfulness exercises you can do with your toddler to build immune resilience.
Four areas to focus on to build a strong immune system.
How to help your child keep their hand off their face .

Dr. Elisa Song, MD is a holistic pediatrician, pediatric functional medicine expert, and mama to 2 crazy fun kids. In her integrative pediatric practice, Whole Family Wellness, she’s helped 1000s of kids get to the root causes of their health concerns and helped their parents understand how to help their children thrive – body, mind, and spirit – by integrating conventional pediatrics with functional medicine, homeopathy, acupuncture, herbal medicine, and essential oils. Dr. Song created Healthy Kids Happy Kids to share her advice and adventures as a holistic pediatrician and mama. Now everyone can have their very own virtual holistic pediatrician!

Day 4 - Oct. 24, 2020

Presence Over Perfection: Setting the foundation for
positive parenting and a peaceful home

Rachel Macy Stafford

Only Love Today: How to drop perfection
and stay present

You will learn:

How striving perfectionism creates a trap that disempowers your parenting.
A simple mindset shift you can use to empower yourself when you make a mistake.
How fear and anxiety can manifest in parenting.
How to tame your inner critic when it starts to bully you.
The importance of creating distraction-free daily rituals and how to do it.

Rachel Macy Stafford is a writer with one goal: to help people choose love as much as humanly possible. She is the New York Times bestselling author of Hands Free Mama, Hands Free Life, Only Love Today, and Live Love Now; a certified special education teacher with a Master’s Degree in education; an in-demand speaker, and beloved blogger who inspires millions in her weekly blog posts at handsfreemama.com and through her supportive Facebook community, The Hands Free Revolution.

Blessing Adesiyan

Thriving in Both Your Career

and Motherhood

You will learn:

2 causes of disempowerment and overwhelm that create guilt.
5 ways to release and shift from mom guilt.
The importance of asking for help and how to give yourself permission to do it.
Tips for working from home with kids.
Why identifying your value with your partnering partner will allow your family to thrive.

Blessing Adesiyan is a mother of three, a career professional and the Founder & CEO of Mother Honestly, a solution-driven platform and ecosystem that propels women forward in motherhood, work and life. Blessing is a trusted expert in work-life solutions for working parents and has helped transform the role of mothers in the workplace and home, engaging over 300,000 ambitious women through her platform, podcast and conferences. Her passion to call women to their truest and limitless potential in motherhood, addressing challenges and crafting sustainable solutions, while combining work and life helps women, their family and their employers achieve long-term success. Blessing is no stranger to big ideas and even bigger to-do lists, but her passion for solving challenges that millennial women face in the workforce and the cultivation of their ambitions is what led her to launch MH as a response to a “gaping hole” in culture. A global citizen who resides in Houston, TX, she obtained her BSc. In Chemical Engineering from the University of Florida, an MSc. in Energy Management from the New York Institute of Technology and an MBA from UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School.

Kim John Payne, M.ED

Keeping It Simple and Secure To Reduce Stress in the Early Years

You will learn:

What simplicity parenting is and how it reduces stress for both parents and children.
The difference between a child-centered home and a value-centered home.
How to identify your family’s values with your parenting partner.
5 areas to simplify your parenting and the impact it will create for your family.
The importance of creating predictability and avoiding over-scheduling.
How adult information impacts a toddler’s sense of security.
4 questions to ask yourself before you say something in front of your child.

Kim John Payne is a consultant and trainer to over 230 U.S. independent and public schools. He has been a school counselor, adult educator, consultant, researcher, educator and a private family counselor for twenty seven years. He is the best-selling author of Simplicity Parenting: Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier and More Secure Kid. He is also the Director of the Simplicity Project a multi media social network that explores what really connects and disconnects us to ourselves and to the world.

He regularly gives keynote addresses at international conferences for educators, parents, and therapists and runs workshops and trainings around the world. In each role, he has been helping children, adolescents and families explore issues such as social difficulties with siblings and classmates, attention and behavioral issues at home and school, emotional issues such as defiance, aggression, addiction and self-esteem and the vital role living a balanced simple life brings.
You can find him online at www.simplicityparenting.com.

Judy Delaware, OTR/L, CLC

Creating Positive Mealtime
Experiences for Your Family

You will learn:

To clearly identify your role in feeding your toddler as well as your toddler’s role.
The specific skills a toddler needs to learn in regard to eating and how to nurture them.
The main goals to focus on when it comes to feeding your toddler and mealtimes.
What age to switch from a bottle to an open cup and why.
The truth about picky eating in the toddler years and how to overcome it.
Red flags when it comes to eating - especially picky eating.
Several tips for keeping mealtimes positive.

Judy Delaware is a Registered and Licensed Occupational Therapist and has been the President of Positive Therapeutic Beginnings, LLC., since 2005. Through Positive Therapeutic Beginnings, Judy specializes in infant feeding, sleep techniques and soothing skills. Judy has been practicing Occupational Therapy for over 37 years and her passion is providing support and care for new parents and babies just coming home from the NICU. Judy’s years of experience in pediatric occupational therapy and feeding helped to create the original Feeding Littles on-demand training programs for parents They offer two programs – one for toddlers and the other for baby-led weaning for infants. Judy is also the Co-Founder of Feeding Littles, and the President of Nurturing Babies and Parents Inc. Judy lives just outside of scenic Boulder, Colorado and has two adult children and two lightning fast whippet dogs. When she is not helping children, she enjoys many outdoor activities.

Ralphie Jacobs

Transitioning from Traditional
Parenting to Positive Parenting

You will learn:

2 pitfalls of traditional parenting that impact the parent-child relationship.
What positive parenting is and the benefits of switching to this parenting style.
How to use positive parenting to create an environment that encourages “good” behavior.
The #1 myth of positive parenting and what is really present.
The difference between positive consequences and negative consequences.
What to do with negative behavior.
The impact of positive parenting on brain development.
4 pillars of positive parenting and tips for success.

Ralphie lives in Austin Texas with her husband and their 4 daughters. As an Early Childhood Education expert Ralphie quickly learned that the best way to impact a child’s life for good is to teach parents. She founded @simplyonpurpose, an online community of over 270K followers. She writes about parenting, family culture, and living with purpose. Her audio course changed thousands of homes. She also travels across the country speaking at workshops on positive parenting. You can learn more about Ralphie at www.simplyonpurpose.org.

Tracy Gillett

Parenting With Intuition

in a Fearful World

You will learn:

What natural parenting is and why it's supportive.
The difference between instincts and intuition.
Two things that hinder our ability to access intuition.
The role of trust in intuition and how to access it.
How to be the expert of yourself and your child.
Steps you can take to discover your own intuition.

Tracy Gillett is the founder, writer and advocate behind the award-winning blog, Raised Good - a guide to natural parenting in the modern world. Written from Vancouver with millions of readers worldwide, she educates and inspires women to reclaim the wonder of motherhood and the joy of childhood by parenting without the shoulds, expectations, and white noise of society. A wife and boy mum, Tracy and her family enjoy traveling, being active and spending as much time exploring the outdoors as possible. Explore more on the Raised Good website or join the mama tribe on Instagram.

Day 5 - October 25, 2020

Effective Tools for Overcoming Challenges

Devon Kuntzman, ACC

Setting Limits that Stick

You will learn:

The difference between a boundary, limit and a rule plus why it matters.
The #1 myth standing in your way of setting effective limits.
6 characteristics of effective limits.
The importance of following through and how to do it consistently.
3 steps for setting limits plus the exact words to say to set limits.
What to do when your toddler reacts to limits with big emotions.

Devon Kuntzman is a Toddler Parenting & Life Design Coach. Devon is on a mission to transform the myth that toddlerhood is terrible. As an ICF certified coach, she empowers toddler parents to create calm from within and end power struggles by being the loving leader and guide so they experience confidence and joy in parenting. Creating a foundation based on positive parenting, connection and respect, parents learn how to overcome everyday challenges and keep their sanity as they rediscover the joy of parenting.

Over the last 15 years, Devon has dedicated her life to working with hundreds of children and families across three continents as a coach, former nanny for some of the most high-profile families in the world and former director of an orphanage in Rwanda.

Devon is a Certified Gentle Sleep Coach, Registered Yoga Teacher, Ontologically Trained Life Coach and the Founder of Transforming Toddlerhood. Devon holds a degree in psychology and child development. Devon is passionate about toddlerhood, green juice, reading, traveling and holistic living.

Holly Daniel

Preparing Your Home to

Reduce Power Struggles

You will learn:

2 ways to see your home and life from your toddler’s point of view.
Why restricting your toddlers ability to explore creates power struggles.
4 areas of your home to prepare for your toddler to reduce power struggles.
The benefits of creating “Yes” spaces and how it can help your toddler hear the word “No”.
Learn the art of toy and book rotation.
How to follow your child’s lead in a way that reduces power struggles without being permissive.
How to create spaces for multiple ages.

Holly is a consultant for modern day parents, using step by step guides to bring Montessori into more homes. Holly has been featured in Motherly and Montessori Rocks where she shares her love for Montessori. Over the past 4 years she has helped thousands of parents bring Montessori in their homes by providing the support and training to get started quickly and easily. You can find her online at www.thistoddlerlife.com

Jessica Vanderwier, MA

Empowering Yourself to Effectively

Respond to and Prevent Whining

You will learn:

Why toddler’s whine and what it communicates.
What has whining be a trigger for us.
How parents and caregivers unknowingly reinforce whining.
The first thing to do when your toddler whines.
How can you effectively respond to whining in a positive and respectful way.

Jess is a mother, wife, registered psychotherapist, and runs Our Mama Village. Through her clinical work she has supported many families in different capacities and knows the real struggles and realities of parenting children with BIG feelings. Jess teaches practical, research-based, and effective tools to help YOU in supporting your kiddos!

Lauren Tamm

“Just Stop Crying”

The surprising truth about

crying and how to respond

You will learn:

3 basic needs toddlers have and how they relate to crying.
2 myths about why crying disempower your parenting.
Exactly what your toddler is communicating with crying.
Why shutting down crying can increase crying.
Your role when your child is crying.
How to support a crying toddler.

Lauren Tamm is a mom of two, Language of Listening® Master Parent Coach and founder of The Military Wife and Mom website. In the past year alone, over 6 million parents, teachers and caregivers have read her parenting work on The Military Wife and Mom. Her current focus is helping parents raise kids who want to listen, even when no one is looking through her signature course Raising Little Listeners. She is a master of sneaking frozen chocolate chips while her kids play.

Dayna Abraham

How to Navigate Toddler Aggression and Tantrums with Confidence

You will learn:

2 myths and 2 two truths about toddler aggression and tantrums.
3 disempowering perspectives that creates frustration and overwhelm in parenting.
What a behavior spiral is and how to identify it in your toddler.
What’s typical and what’s a red flag when it comes to aggressive behavior and tantrums.
The importance of tracking to fully understand your child’s behavior.
How to stay calm when you are triggered.
Effective ways to respond to tantrums and aggressive behavior.

Dayna Abraham, founder of the Calm the Chaos® Framework, best-selling author of The Superkids Activity Guide to Conquering Every Day and founder of the popular blog, Lemon Lime Adventures, helps parents and education professionals unlock the unique super powers in children so they can live a more peaceful life filled with clarity, connection and empowerment by providing them with a proven plan designed to Calm the Chaos® of everyday life. When she’s not writing, you can find her drinking lots of coffee and being the best sidekick possible for her own three Superkids.

BONUS DAY

Special Sessions for Premium Conference Package Holders

Julietta Skoog

How to Effectively Respond to

Peer and Sibling Conflict

You will learn:

Two ways parents and caregivers unknowingly contribute to sibling conflict.
How to effectively respond to sibling conflict.
The importance of empowering children to solve their own conflicts and how to support them in the process.
The most important factor when it comes to solving conflicts for both parents and children.
Specific, positive tools you can use to put an end to sibling conflict.
How to support your toddler when a new baby joins the family.

Julietta is a Certified Positive Discipline Advanced Trainer with an Ed.S Degree in School Psychology and a Masters Degree in School Counseling from Seattle University. She is the co-founder of Sproutable, science-backed online parenting insights for pregnancy to preschool, helping parents and caregivers everywhere. Her trauma-informed expertise includes early child development, autism, learning disabilities, anxiety, behavior disorders, Positive Discipline, Social Thinking, and mindfulness. Her popular keynote speeches, classes, and workshops have been described as rejuvenating, motivating and inspiring. Julietta has learned the most from her own three daughters, ages 11, 8 and 3.

Peter Gray, Ph.D.

Support Your Toddler in Becoming an Enthusiastic Learner Through Play

You will learn:

The biggest misconception we have about learning.
The innate drives that fuel your toddlers and behavior and how we accidentally squash them.
4 characteristics that define play and how they support your child’s motivation to learn.
How bringing impacts your child’s motivation and willingness to help.
3 ways to support play and learning.
The number one type of play that builds confidence in children and how we avoid it.
Our ultimate role as parents in caregivers in a child’s life.

Peter Gray is a Research Professor of Psychology at Boston College. He has conducted and published research in neuroendocrinology, developmental psychology, anthropology, and education. His current research focuses on the role of play in human evolution and how children educate themselves, through play and exploration, when they are free to do so. He has expanded on these ideas in his book, Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life as well as in academic articles. He also authors a regular blog called Freedom to Learn, for Psychology Today magazine and is a founding board member of Let Grow, which aims to bring more free play into children’s lives.

Heather Shumaker

Ending Toy Battles: Redefining
Sharing in Toddlerhood

You will learn:

The difference between sharing on demand and child-led sharing (taking turns).
The unspoken message we send to children about themselves when we enforce sharing on demand.
How to empower your toddler while helping him/her develop inner generosity.
The surprising moments of the day when you can make the most difference in your toddler’s life.
How to accept your toddler’s feelings without condoning their behavior.
How taking turns helps toddlers develop problem-solving, resilience and impulse control.
The exact phrases and tools you need to facilitate taking turns so you never have to be the referee again.

Heather Shumaker is a national speaker on early childhood topics and the author of two books of renegade parenting: It’s OK Not to Share (2012) and It’s OK to Go Up the Slide (2016). She’s an advocate for free play and no homework for young children and has been featured on NPR, Parenting, Parents.com, USA Weekend and other media. Heather is a graduate of Swarthmore College (BA) and University of Wisconsin-Madison (MS) and the mother of two children. She hosts a blog and the podcast Renegade Rules. You can learn more about Heather and her newest books at www.heathershumaker.com.

Victoria Dunckley M.D.

Screen Time's Impact on Toddlers

You will learn:

Exactly what happens in your child’s brain during screen time.
The keys to reducing screen time in a world full of screens.
Research-based biological effects of screen time and how it changes the wiring of your child’s brain.
How to know for sure if screen time is responsible for behavior and developmental disturbances in your child.
How screen time affects play, tantrums, learning, and motivation.

Victoria Dunckley, M.D., is an award-winning integrative child psychiatrist, and a nationally recognized expert on the impact of screen-time on brain health and development, and the overuse of medication in children. Recently named one of “America’s Top Psychiatrists,” Dr. Dunckley has been featured on Fox News, Good Morning America, NBC Nightly News, Psychology Today and more. She is the author of the groundbreaking book, Reset Your Child’s Brain: A Four Week Plan to End Meltdowns, Raise Grades and Boost Social Skills by Reversing the Effects of Electronic Screen Time. You can find her on line at www.drdunckley.com.

Lori Petro

Parenting your Highly Sensitive Toddler

You will learn:

What it means to have a highly sensitive toddler, including types of sensitivities.
A common phrase we say in the heat of the moment that makes kids feel unsafe.
How to use attachment and connection to build a sense of safety and stability.
Strategies to help you cope with reactive behavior.
How to help your toddler develop more flexibility and adaptability.

Lori Petro is Child Advocate, the founder of TEACH through Love and the creator of the Conscious Communication Cards. Lori is dedicated to helping parents learn to communicate without blame, shame, judgment, and guilt, and she created TEACH through Love as an online conscious parenting resource offering non-punitive and trauma-sensitive parenting education and support.

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