Parent Education

Exploring The Anxious Generation

After more than a decade of stability or improvement, adolescents' mental health took a sharp downturn in the early 2010s. Rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicide rose dramatically, more than doubling on many measures. Why?

In The Anxious Generation, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt lays out the facts about the epidemic of teen mental illness that affected many countries simultaneously. He examines the nature of childhood, explaining why children need play and independent exploration to develop into competent, thriving adults. Haidt explores how the “play-based childhood” began to decline in the 1980s and was ultimately replaced by the “phone-based childhood” in the early 2010s.

The book presents more than a dozen ways this “great rewiring of childhood” has disrupted children’s social and neurological development, covering topics such as sleep deprivation, attention fragmentation, addiction, loneliness, social contagion, social comparison, and perfectionism. Haidt also explains why social media affects girls more than boys and why boys are increasingly withdrawing into the virtual world, with devastating consequences for themselves, their families, and society.

This year, we’re excited to introduce a three-part book club series featuring this bestselling book. Together, we’ll explore key topics impacting children and families today, along with actionable strategies to support their well-being.

Session Schedule:

• February 12th: Healthy Tech Boundaries
  Learn how to establish healthy technology habits, create boundaries, and apply key takeaways from the book.

• March 12th: Resilience in Children
  Discover strategies to build resilience in children, helping them navigate challenges, adapt to change, and develop confidence in an ever-changing world.

• April 9th: The Power and Importance of Sleep
  Explore approaches to setting healthy sleep habits at home and understand how sleep impacts children’s well-being.

Grab your copy of The Anxious Generation and join us for thought-provoking discussions and practical insights. Let’s engage, learn, and grow together as a community!

From a beloved Wall Street Journal columnist comes a book that will transform your understanding of reading aloud. Grounded in the latest brain science and behavioral research, and drawing widely from life and literature, The Enchanted Hour reveals the stunning advantages that await people of every age and background when they partake of this ancient practice. Book Club coffees are intended for those to partake in conversations post-reading the book. 

Guest Speaker-Sheri Glucoft Wong

Do you wish you had fewer conflicts with your children involving screen time, homework, and chores? Would you like to eliminate the sense that you’re nagging by instilling some sensible and effective habits in your kids? What about shoring up your children’s confidence and resilience in this age of anxiety and depression? Then I’ve got the book for you!

Sheri Glucoft Wong, a nationally recognized family therapist, has developed practical tools for parents who want to be more effective in setting behavioral expectations at home. You will leave this coffee with tangible ideas for how to support your child. 

On Wednesday, January 8, Sea Crest parents gathered for an insightful Coffee and Conversations session with Mark Ottoni-Wilhelm, a professor of economics at IUPUI and an expert in philanthropic studies at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.

Mark shared research-backed insights on the foundations of generosity, how giving habits are passed down through generations, and the role life experiences play in shaping prosocial behaviors like volunteering and altruistic giving. Parents left with practical strategies to encourage generosity in their children and foster a strong family culture of giving back.

Thank you to all who joined us for this engaging discussion! Stay tuned for more opportunities to connect and learn.

Why Character Strong: A presentation on our new SEL curriculum, Character Strong, and its importance in teaching character education in schools. Presenters: Michelle Giacotto, Director of Curriculum and Leslie Richardson, Director of Student Learning. On Wednesday, 9/13/23 from 8-9 am in the Reef, Parent Coffee #1.

How to support your child's math learning: A presentation about the curriculum and approach to Mathematics at Sea Crest and how you can support your child's learning. Presenters: Stephen Holzer, Dean of Mathematics, Kelli Swan, Kindergarten Teacher, and Vienna Klingele, Third Grade Teacher. On Wednesday, 10/11/23 from 8-9 am in the Reef, Parent Coffee #2.

Understanding Child Behavior: Behavior is a language that individuals use to communicate with the world. Behavioral Consultant, Steven Forth, explored the factors that drive behavior and offered some practical tips and tools for parents on how to respond to challenging behaviors. Presenter: Steven Forth, BCBA Behavioral Consultant. On Wednesday, 11/8/23 from 8-9 am in the Reef, Parent Coffee #3.

Helping Your Child Establish a Healthy Relationship with Technology: In this age of digital distractions and screen addiction, learn some practical strategies for how to help your child establish healthy tech habits and a balanced relationship with technology. Guest Speaker: Dino Ambrosi, Sea Crest Alum and founder of Project Reboot. On Wednesday, 12/13/23 from 8-9 am in the Reef, Parent Coffee #4.
 
Dino Ambrosi, who is a Sea Crest alum (class of 2013) and the founder of Project Reboot, a guided digital detox program designed to help teens reset their tech habits. While studying at UC Berkeley, he created a course that helped over 100 of his peers reduce their screen time by an average of 3.5 hours per day. After graduating with a bachelor's degree in Data Science, he embarked on a mission to spread the contents of his course to a broader audience. Through speaking, consulting, and facilitating Project Reboot, he has helped over 8,000 teens build healthier relationships with technology.

Strategies to Support Your Child's Reading: Looking for ways to help nurture your child's reading journey at home? We shared some tips and strategies to support your child through the different ages and stages of reading development. We also offered some practical tools and advice, answered questions, and talked about how to support a reluctant or struggling reader. Presenters: Michelle Giacotto, Director of Curriculum and Leslie Richardson, Director of Student Learning. On Wednesday, 1/10/24 from 8-9 am in the Reef, Parent Coffee #5.

How to Raise Nature-Loving Kids in a Media-Loving World: Spending time in nature can positively impact children's health, happiness, and cognitive development. During this inspiring conversation, we will discuss various ways parents can encourage their children to explore the natural world and develop a love for it.

The Every Changing Landscape of College: Join college counselor Liz Murphy in a discussion of the ever-changing landscape of the college admissions process. 

Supporting Summer Learning: Join Sea Crest teachers in a discussion about how to support your child’s ongoing learning, academic goals, and unique curiosities during the summer months.

How to Raise An Adult: In the Fall of 2021, our Head of School, Lauren Miller hosted a book club on Monday evenings to discuss book “How to Raise an Adult”. A New York Times best-seller. Drawing on research, on conversations with admissions officers, educators, and employers, and on her own insights as a mother and as a student dean, Julie highlights the ways in which over-parenting harms children, their stressed-out parents, and society at large. While empathizing with the parental hopes and, especially, fears that lead to over-helping, Julie offers practical strategies that underline the importance of allowing children to make their own mistakes and develop the resilience, resourcefulness, and inner determination necessary for success.

Gender Inclusion Workshops: Alex Myers is an American author, educator and transgender rights activist. Alex speaks at schools, conferences, and libraries around the country to help communities become more gender inclusive. He is the author of the novels Revolutionary (Simon & Schuster, 2014), Continental Divide (University of New Orleans Press, November 2019) The Story of Silence (HarperCollins, July 2020) and the nonfiction guide Supporting Transgender Students (University of New Orleans Press 2021). On 11/3/21, Alex spoke in a virtual workshop with our upper school students, followed by a session with faculty and staff, and a parent talk.

On 10/4/21, Mathematics Teacher and Instructional Coach, Stephen Holzer, hosted a workshop for parents about the launch of the new mathematics program at Sea Crest, our approach to building a strong mathematical foundation with students, and the work he is doing to support teachers.