Navigating Traumatic Times to Minimize the Damage and to Maximize Your Child’s Optimal Development Guest Speaker: Dr. Tina Payne Bryson After a spring and summer of unprecedented events, there has never been a more important time to consider what kids and teens need to thrive. Right now, many students are feeling anxious, sad, chaotic, disappointed, angry, or withdrawn. Others seem ?ne or might even seem to be doing better. Regardless, as parents, particularly with more months ahead of hyrbid distance learning, restricted social life, and an absence of scheduled activities, we worry about our kids’ mental health, their long-term development, and their future. How do we navigate these uncertain times to minimize the damage and to maximize optimal development? Is there anything we can do to create a bu?er that protects our kids? And what if we as parents don’t feel like we have the capacity to parent well right now? The good news is that over 50 years of cross-cultural research has proven pretty clearly what kids need most, both in “normal” times and when the world seems like it’s been turned upside down. In her book The Power of Showing Up (co-authored with Dan Siegel), Dr. Bryson shares the latest brain and attachment research, which clearly demonstrates how best to make a di?erence in the lives of children we care about—we simply need to show up. In this presentation, Dr. Bryson will discuss what showing up means, sharing stories and simple strategies for honoring the Four S’s (helping kids feel secure, seen, soothed, and safe). She’ll discuss practical advice for supporting anxious kids, hitting the reset button on parenting, and creating a safe harbor at home for children of all ages. Using her trademark warmth and humor, she’ll lead us in an exploration of how our whole community can thrive this school year, while also preparing ourselves for whatever comes next.