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Parent Express for 08-Jan-2010
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Jan
2010 Happy 2010! Somehow, to me, writing a 10 makes life seem strangely futuristic. Are we living our future now? Imagine just two years ago, very few people had heard of Twitter or Facebook—and now, wow! Those sites are now places for connection and outreach for millions. Who would have conceived that a TV show like Hoarders could attract 3.2 million viewers or who could have foreseen the technical wizardry of Avatar? Could any of us have predicted how influential bloggers would become…an 11 year-old invited to the fashion industry's gala event because she writes a popular blog? From Wii to sexting to media multi-tasking—the pace has sped up and it becomes continually challenging for parents to keep up with it all. In my article below titled "Parenting Today," I stress that in the midst of all the screen machine hype, some things never change—showing our love to our children, meeting their developmental needs, helping them use their talents well, teaching them to contribute to the common good. These are goals clearly worthy of each moment as moms and dads—each slow, human moment. Alice Hanscam, PCI Certified Parent Coach® in Anchorage, Alaska, shares a beautiful article with us on the "The Power of Pause." Perhaps the one ingredient for parenting success lies in our ability to slow down, not only savor the moments, but also be our best selves for our children. During my upcoming community presentations, I will discuss these never-changing human needs (along with the importance of the slow moments) as we all strive to make sense of Parenting Well in a Screen-Machine World. Our high-tech future may be here, but our past experience and knowledge count to keep us human and humane! I hope to see you in Woodinville or Chicago soon! Gloria DeGaetano, Founder and CEO
"I have found my calling was the greatest compliment you could have given me! I am thrilled and touched. Thank you so much. Leaving educational administration was the right thing for me to do. Being a parent coach is my path and I love it!"
—Rhonda Moskowitz, Columbus, Ohio
Apply now to receive a $900.00 tuition discount for March start! (Spaces are limited. The tuition discount applies while spaces are still available.) Thank you to all those who are calling to apply to the PCI™! Our phones are very busy these days. We are now accepting applications for Spring Quarter. Review our program dates here, including information on early application discounts. Word is getting out about our innovative, energizing, and highly practical Parent Coach Certification® Training. Because of the overwhelming response, we highly encourage you not to delay in submitting your application for spring start. By planning ahead, you will be assured of a spot if accepted into the program, after the enrollment process is complete. Please send in the basic application as the first step. Download the application here. Once we receive this document, we will contact you for a phone interview. Transcripts and reference letters can follow the basic application by a few weeks. Questions? Please call (425) 401-1519. Please Note: Phone classes are in the evening time, usually at 5PM or 6PM (Pacific Time) to accommodate the work schedules of our students. Listen to an audio message from Gloria DeGaetano to learn about the five advantages of Parent Coach Certification®. 
Working with a parent coach who has received Parent Coach Certification® through the PCI™ is giving yourself a valuable gift as well as a sound investment in your family's future. PCI Certified Parent Coaches® are caring, thoughtful professionals with years of experience working with parents. They have successfully completed the PCI™ Parent Coach Certification® Training Program—a comprehensive academic, one-year, graduate-level program in collaboration with Seattle Pacific University. Through a series of coaching conversations that can be either by telephone or in-person, PCI Certified Parent Coaches® help you re-discover your dreams and design your life for more joy and satisfaction. To find a PCI Certified Parent Coach® in your area, please click here or call (425) 401-1519 for a referral to a PCI Certified Parent Coach® selected especially for you. 
Visit www.parentappreciationradio.com to listen to programs featuring PCI Certified Parent Coaches® and other experts from around the country discussing topics of interest to moms and dads. Programs are available as podcasts. Listeners can download individual episodes directly, listen to them from this site using a Web browser, or access them via the iTunes podcast directory. iTunes subscribers will automatically pick up new episodes as they become available!  Parenting Today: The World Has Changed, Have We? 
by Gloria DeGaetano, Founder and CEO of the Parent Coaching Institute, author of Parenting Well in a Media Age, winner of the 2007 Best Products i-Parenting Award. Once upon a time in 1980 there was a 30-year-old woman, pregnant for the first time. So filled with blissful anticipation, this determined mom-to-be set out to discover what would be best for her baby. She had no problem finding information on breast-feeding, sleeping through the night, introducing solids or the environmental realities of cloth vs. disposable diapers. But when she looked for what would be best for her baby's brain development, she couldn't find anything in the mainstream. I was that mom. With no Internet, my research meant going back and forth to the university library, copying journal articles and distributing them to my women friends and colleagues at work—obnoxious in my enthusiasm, waving the research in their faces, saying, "Look at this! Can you believe it?" I was stunned to find out, for instance, that the daily four hours U.S. kids spend in front of a television prevented proper growth of crucial neural circuitry, limiting their cognitive capacities for the rest of their lives. I was amazed to discover that the verdict on TV violence had been conclusive since 1976: violent images do contribute to aggressive behaviors, fear, and desensitization to real violence, creating a condition for an appetite for more and more violence in entertainment and in one's environment. Over the years this research backed me up to make course corrections as I parented two rambunctious sons. For example, around 1985 Mr. Rogers started appearing twice a day—in the morning and in the afternoon. As a single working mother, I was so tempted to let my then five and three year-old boys visit the "neighborhood" both times. But I resisted. Their creative play was more important for their budding brains, and a once-a-day visit with Mr. R was plenty. In 1986 those "new fangled" videos meant I could actually play a full-length feature film in my own family room. Outrageous! Imagine two whole hours to get work done around the house or just sit and stare into space with a cup of tea, uninterrupted. Luckily, the research prevented me from over-dosing on these "new" inventions—sometimes. The two-hour video was a godsend before company came and I scrambled to get all together at the last minute; when I had the flu or had office work to complete at home—mom's screen nanny to the rescue. But, let's face it, back then my screen-machine temptations were nothing compared to what seduces parents in 2008: screens in SUVs; hand-held video games; "Mozart and Einstein videos" being pushed as good for infants; numerous choices in children's programming, videos and DVDs; computers designed specifically for teens; social networking sites that attract middle-school kids so they can belong to their peer group and "be cool," video games in restaurants, malls, theaters and anywhere families gather. Has the small screen finally conquered? |
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Gloria DeGaetano Included in Article in Toronto-based The Globe and Mail
PCI Certified Parent Coach® Roni Stein, Ed.D, Included in Article in Parents Magazine
PCI Certified Parent Coach® Sally Kidder Davis Included in Article in Seattle's Parent Map Magazine
January 20, 2010, 7:30 PM
January 22, 2010, 12 Noon
February 6, 2010, 8:00 AM
March 4–6, 2010
"My daughter asked me what this weekend was like. I asked her to imagine a friend who approaches life the way she does, shares ideas that get both of them excited, creating new ideas, whose life she admires, and who brings out the best in her, and she in her friend. Then imagine being in a room full of friends like that. It's inspirational, moving, and life-giving. I feel blessed to be part of our new family of friends. Each one of you is a gift. Thank you."
—Sheryl Stoller, Chicago, IL
"Gloria, I just wanted to send a quick email to thank you for such an amazing weekend! I felt so refueled and engaged, my brain is still tired from so much learning! You were so generous, spirited, nurturing and welcoming, not to mention the fact that you fed us so well. I look forward to many more conversations and to learning and growing with the PCI. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!"
—Margann Duke, Reno, NV
The Parent Coaching Institute is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation and welcomes donations from individuals, organizations, and corporations who want to support its mission To transform the world by revitalizing parenting through prevention and possibility.™ For more information, please click here or contact the PCI™ at info@thepci.org or (425) 401-1519. Visa and MasterCard are accepted. 
Back issues of Parent Express are available on the PCI Web site. There you can read articles by Gloria DeGaetano and PCI Certified Parent Coaches®, and easily send past issues to friends and colleagues via e-mail.
The Power of Pause: Transforming Relationships One Pause at a Time
by Alice Hanscam
My eldest daughter has been a great teacher for me—I like to refer to her as my "practice child," for her younger sister has reaped the benefits of all that I've learned from her. My greatest lesson? The power of pause. It seems to me this is the baseline for growing positive, respectful, all around healthy relationships with our children…and it took my child to bring it to my attention. I admit, I am still working on developing this skill—it is not easy, but the results are amazing—often truly transformational. As Emily entered the teen years, our altercations ramped up. One particular time stands out as a turning point in my awareness of the value of pausing. […] |
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This issue of Parent Express was originally published January 8, 2010. Some content, contact information, and links may be out of date, and the conversion from the original email edition may introduce formatting inconsistencies.
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