Happy New Year!
I write as the Winter Break winds down, grateful for time with my family and opportunities to recharge. We enjoyed backpacking and camping at Catalina Island, our first trip to Joshua Tree, many local hikes, playing new board games, visiting LA art museums, reading for work and pleasure, and catching up on sleep. I had the chance to reconnect with the work of Dr. Michael Thompson, whom we are lucky to host at Turning Point this Wednesday, January 9. If one of your new year’s resolutions is to invest time learning from parenting experts graced with intelligence and humor, please be sure to join us Wednesday morning.
We are honored to host Dr. Michael Thompson to hear his well-researched, common-sense approach to parenting and teaching boys. As you probably are aware, we are addressing issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion, so we are excited to focus on the specific needs and development of boys. As the parent of two boys and veteran educator, I still find myself confused about their growth and development, wondering which behaviors are normal behaviors and which behaviors should cause worry. I don’t always know how to speak boys’ language, and can misread their attempts to connect with each other and with me. Especially in the wake of the #metoo movement and Judge Kavanaugh hearings, we want to ensure that boys’ fun and bonding is not at girls’ expense.
Boys can struggle with feeling pressure not to express feelings and to pursue a narrow range of interests. We want to support our boys as they understand a wide array of emotions and feel confident pursuing interests outside of sports and video games. Dr. Thompson will offer strategies to better understand and communicate with the boys in our families and communities and to help them navigate their complex journeys to well-adjusted adulthood. Of course, if you are the parent of girls, this information will be helpful to you and your daughter(s) as well.
I look forward to seeing you Wednesday morning and to continuing this profound journey of supporting our children’s optimal growth and development together.
Warmly,
Laura
Dr. Laura Konigsberg
Head of School
lkonigsberg@turningpointschool.org
