A701 Childhood Unbound: New Rules for Therapy with Post-Boomer Families

Learn interventions that address the profound transformation in 21st-century family life as the children of boomers themselves become parents. Discover how to develop a contemporary balance of rules and rewards, create rituals that get through to kids wired to tune out, increase familial empathy, and use an active problem-solving approach that combines adult wisdom and direct advice.

Meet The Instructor

Ron Taffel, Ph.D., is the author of the new book “Childhood Unbound: Saving Our Kids’ Best Selves in a World of Change.” His other books include “Breaking Through to Teens” and “Nurturing Good Children Now.”

Course Contents

Session 1: A Generational Shift Like No Other – “The Great Unraveling” • Discussion of the powerful, paradigmatic generational shift and “the great unraveling” that’s taken place in American society in many spheres • Exploration of what constitutes the post-boomer family • The implications of this change on everyday treatment and of the unique challenges facing clinicians today • Transforming stuck family dances between parents and kids.

Session 2: Sparks in the Embers • Specific surprising trends toward health that still exist in families • Approaching treatment in ways that match our post-boomer era • Uncovering the hidden desire for engagement in this new parent-child dyad • Concrete techniques with which to engage difficult kids and resistant parents in first meetings

Session 3: A New Balance of Love and Limits • Curbing kids’ freedom of speech • Learning to give effective advice • Helping parents implement a balance of rules and rewards • Teaching kids of all ages to earn privileges

Session 4: Engagement through Listening • Getting children to talk more to you and their parents • Encouraging parents to talk more about themselves and manage less • Creating parent-to-parent respect between families • New approaches toward family and school alliances

Learning Objectives

1. List the implications for parents and kids who are the products of this generational and demographic shift.
2. Describe concrete changes in parenting techniques necessitated by the realities of 21st- century life.
3. Learn new childrearing approaches to use for treating today’s kids and teens, along with their parents.