Free Parent Webinar

Free Parent Webinar: “Adolescence Is Hard Work”

9 am November 9th, 2020

Parenting through the five developmental stages of adolescence with humor, optimism, and perspective.

Parent Education Series

Each year Hyla School hosts nationally recognized speakers as part of our parent education series, called Hyla Parent University. As a learning community, we provide this service for parents to support their work during the critical adolescent years, and we invite all parents to come learn with us, at no cost. This fall, we are thrilled to bring internationally acclaimed clinical psychologist Michael Thompson to Hyla via Zoom. From the comfort of home, you can take in his expertise and ask questions. 

“Adolescence is Hard Work” 

There are five developmental challenges which every adolescent must meet. There are no shortcuts and no exemptions, and these challenges are, from a psychological point of view, very strenuous. At the same time, most adolescents meet them with grace and ingenuity. Despite the images of rebellious and antisocial adolescents in the popular media, fully two-thirds of children have smooth or stepwise patterns of growth during the teen-age years, only one-third a tumultuous pattern. This humorous talk, illustrated with cartoons and drawings, provides useful perspective for parents of adolescents and calming preparation for parents of about-to-be-adolescents.

About Our Speaker, Michael Thompson

Michael G. Thompson, Ph.D. is a consultant, author, and psychologist specializing in children and families. He and his co-author, Dan Kindlon, wrote the New York Times best-selling book, Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys. Dr. Thompson has authored and co-authored multiple books on childhood and development including Best Friends, Worst Enemies: Understanding the Social Lives of Children and The Pressured Child: Helping Your Child Find Success in School and Life. He is the supervising psychologist for the Belmont Hill School and has worked in more than seven hundred schools across the United States, as well as in international schools in Central America, Europe, Africa and Asia. A dedicated speaker and traveler, Michael Thompson has appeared on The Today Show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, ABC 20/20, CBS 60 Minutes, The Early Show and Good Morning America. He has been quoted in the New York Times, The Washington Post, Newsweek, Time, and U.S. News and World Report and has been a guest on NPR. Dr. Thompson is married to Dr. Theresa McNally, a psychotherapist, is the father of two grown children and the grandfather to Aubrey, Brynlee and Kalen.