Back in April, when the COVID-19 pandemic shut everything down, I jumped on a Zoom call with fifteen other parenting author-educators. We wanted to find some way to help parents cope with the isolation and helplessness we were all feeling.

The result was our summer Parenting in Place Masterclass series. Each week, we met with thousands of parents to talk parenting, education, mental health, motivation and screen time, and it saved my sanity, to be honest.

We went back to our collective drawing boards, invited a lot of new experts to join us, and the fall Parenting in Place: Helping Families Thrive in Challenging Times starts next week!

For eight weeks, parenting experts, therapists, authors, educators, and neuroscientists will come together to share their very best strategies and ideas for how you and your family can thrive this fall. I’m not in the fall lineup because I’m on a new writing deadline, but I will be teaching in the winter course with one of my very favorite people, How to Raise an Adult and Real American author Julie Lythcott-Haims!

Parenting in Place features 8 weekly masterclasses (hosted on Zoom) on Tuesday evenings from Nov. 17 through Jan. 19, each focused on a different theme, and each including specific takeaways and strategies.

Because the event is live, attendees will have the opportunity to ask the hosts questions and communicate with other attendees through chat. We’ve also put together a bundle of free bonus content (downloadables, templates, webinars) from our speakers, and created a closed moderated Facebook group so together we can keep the conversation going and provide three solid months of support.

Here’s the line-up:

NOV 17: A Conversation on Screens and Social Media. Amber Coleman-Mortley and Devorah Heitner will address parents on how to support our children in using screens and social media.
NOV 24: A Conversation on Designing Your Life. Christine Koh and Laura Vanderkam will support parents in navigating a holiday season unlike any other and adopting healthy time management habits.
DEC 1: A Conversation on Parenting Adolescents. Katie Hurley and Phyllis Fagell will discuss the joys and challenges of parenting adolescents, suicide prevention and coping with anxiety.
DEC 8: A Conversation on Young Children. Mona Delahooke and Tina Payne Bryson will bring compassion, humor and science to the challenging task of raising the youngest children, infants to kindergarten.
DEC 15: A Conversation on Race, School Culture and Anti-Racist Parenting Support. Cornelius Minor and Rosetta Lee will discuss raising anti-racist kids, engaging in courageous conversations and building inclusive communities.
JAN 5: A Conversation on Children’s Social and Emotional Well-Being. Audrey Monke and Nefertiti Austin will share tools for parents to help children develop their social and emotional intelligence, even in a time of social isolation and physical distancing.
JAN 12: A Conversation on Expectations, Homework, and Executive Function. Ana Homayoun and Tiffany Dufu will offer parents guidance on expectations, supporting homework and building children’s executive function — and knowing when to drop the ball.
JAN 19: TOWN HALL. The last week of the series will be a virtual, moderated Town Hall featuring a number of our speakers responding to the most pressing concerns and questions from the Parenting in Place community. The Town Hall will be moderated by Ned Johnson, with speakers to be announced soon.

Live events will be held on Tuesdays at 8 pm ET / 5 pm PT, but registrants will have access to replays in case they can’t attend live.

We want to make this event accessible to as many people as possible and recognize the difficult position many families find themselves in these days, so the entire series— 8-week series of live classes, the bonus bundle, and the closed Facebook community—for only $39. Registrants will have access to all replays, no matter when they join.

A portion of the proceeds for the Masterclass will be donated to charitable organizations that support children, families, and communities.

To register for Parenting in Place, click here or on the images in this post. I hope to see you there (I hang out in the green room and help answer questions as they come up in the chat). This series has been a bright spot in a difficult, overwhelming year, and I hope it can be the same for you.

Parenting in Place Masterclass is Back!