About the Talk:

Most parents are perfectly fine communicators—unless they’re talking to their children. Too often, their pitch rises and they can come across as pleading, indignant, wounded, or outraged. In tone and body language they signal, I can’t handle it when you act like a child. Dr. Wendy Mogel (author of The Blessing of a Skinned Knee, and The Blessing of a B Minus) has developed a remarkably effective series of “voice lessons,” which she shares with parents who are struggling with their kids. What she has seen is that the results were immediate: a shift in vocal style led to children who were calmer, listened more attentively, and communicated with more warmth, respect, and sincerity.

About the presenter:

International public speaker. Publisher’s Weekly gave her—now classic—parenting book, The Blessing of a Skinned Knee, a starred review, calling it “impassioned, lyrical and eminently practical…a real treasure.” Her revelatory second release, The Blessing of a B Minus, addresses the challenge of parenting adolescents in a culture of anxiety and competition. Publisher’s Weekly raved, “Mogel’s compassion and authenticity will ring true with parents of all faiths facing the tumultuous teen years.”

Dr. Mogel’s third book,Voice Lessons is about cultivating the art of conversation—from infancy to adulthood—in an age of hurry, worry, and digital distraction. Mogel demonstrates how a shift in tone, tempo, and body language leads to an improved outcome. Children respond with greater alacrity and exhibit more warmth, respect, and sincerity. She also addresses an obstacle that flummoxes even the most seasoned and confident parent: the distraction of digital devices, how they impact our connection with our families, and what we can do about it.

A graduate of Middlebury College, Dr. Mogel completed an internship and post-doctoral fellowship in Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Currently she serves on the scientific advisory board of Parents Magazine and is a frequent guest expert on national media, where she weighs in on issues of the day.

Dr. Mogel currently lives and practices in Los Angeles. For more information, visit her website at www.wendymogel.com.