Invitation to Parenting Talk next Wednesday

Dear Butterfly Nursery Families,

On Wednesday, October 7, you are invited to a parent lecture in the Butterfly Classroom from 5 to 6pm. Although the talk is part of our parent & child program, the topic may interest parents of children of all ages. Contact William Dolde with questions.

"Let's Try That Again"
Ostensibly Crazy Things to Say to Children that Really Work

(This talk was formerly known as Strunk and White speak to children)

Our children offer us many opportunities to express ourselves in challenging situations (what to say to a child licking the table, to a child who insists on picking up every piece of garbage in the street, to a child who says yuck to the dinner you spent 12 hours creating), and we can find ourselves overwhelmed with the plethora of how-to-parent books that offer us conflicting advice (whether choices are good for children or choices paralyze children and make them feel insecure; whether praise helps build self-esteem or global praise such as "good girl" or "you are so smart" make children less willing to exert effort and learn). With humor and humility, William Dolde will attempt to work through the advice from experts to distill principles of speaking to children that can be helpful in many situations.

Parents may wish to read a couple of pieces by William in advance: 1) "Speaking to a Toddler," and 2) "Beyond Personal."

William will strive to resist the temptation to create an orthodox list of proper and improper things to say. At the same time, in his examples, it remains possible that some of his examples may strike a nerve. He may possibly make fun of national lecturers who are much more successful than him. He will ask lecture participants to avoid venturing forth to correct spouses and colleagues. He will do his best to avoid insulting people (but his best might not be good enough).

Interested parents may also wish to read the following two articles on the inverse power of praise. This first offers a parent's perspective. This second article is by Professor Carol Dweck (the researcher quoted in the first article).