Two great events are coming to Wilton this week, and it’s a worthwhile idea to check them out.
Moving Up to High School: Preparing to Support Your 8th Grader
Parent Connection and the Wilton High School PTSA are hosting a presentation for parents of 8th graders on Tuesday, April 28, from 7-9 p.m. at the Wilton High School Little Theater.
Parents will learn how to provide social and emotional support to their children as they transition to high school. The program will begin with a presentation on Adolescent Brain Development by Liz Jorgensen, a nationally recognized adolescent counseling expert. Following the presentation there will be a question-and-answer session with panelists to address parents’ questions. Panelists will include a WHS social worker, WHS and Middlebrook School counselors, and WHS parents and students.
Admission is free, and no registration is required. For questions, contact the Middlebrook School counseling department at 203.762.8388. The event is sponsored by the Wilton High School PTSA, Wilton Youth Council’s Parent Connection and Wilton Public Schools.
How to Raise Resilient Children and Adolescents
With the heightened expectations and complexities of today’s environment, it is more important than ever to raise a resilient child who is able to overcome life’s inevitable obstacles. Between school, peer pressure and their own physiological changes, the stress can be overwhelming. Compound that by the relentless presence of social media, where interactions that were once limited to one or two people can instantly be broadcast to thousands, and resiliency becomes an essential life skill for the present that is crucial to becoming a happy adult.
With that in mind, four local organizations have teamed to bring Dr. Robert Brooks, renowned author and psychologist, to Fairfield County. At two sessions on Monday, April 27, one in Weston and the other in Wilton, Brooks will discuss why some children are inherently more able to cope than others, and what steps parents and other adults can take to help every child develop the positive self-image and confidence necessary for being resilient.
“Teaching a child to be resilient is not just about telling them to have a ‘stiff upper lip,’ says Dr. Aaron Krasner, Adolescent Transitional Living Program Service Chief at Silver Hill Hospital. Resiliency, he says, is the ability to recognize and manage challenges as well as learn to cope with them effectively. He adds that some adults may be surprised at what it takes to support children in becoming resilient.
“The most important thing a parent can do to help a child is to validate their feelings and thereby foster in them a positive self-image. That requires respect, empathy and uninterrupted time from the adult caregiver. I expect parents, teachers and anyone involved in child-raising will find these sessions stimulating and enlightening,” Krasner said.
This event is sponsored by Wilton Youth Council, Wilton Youth Services, Weston Youth Services and Silver Hill Hospital.
- The Weston morning event will be held at the Weston Public Library Community Room (56 Norfield Rd, Weston) from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m..
- The Wilton evening session is from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Wilton High School Little Theater (395 Danbury Road, Wilton).
The events are free and registration is not required.
For more information contact Wilton Youth Services at 203.834.6241 or Weston Youth Services at 203.222.2585.