Former Stanford dean and New York Times bestselling author of How to Raise an Adult Julie Lythcott-Haims explains why our culture of over-parenting is hurting our children and making them ill-equipped for college and adulthood.

Relevant to parents of toddlers as well as of twentysomethings, How to Raise an Adult is a rallying cry for those who wish to ensure that the next generation can take charge of their own lives with competence and confidence.

This FREE program takes place April 26th from 7-9pm at Temple Rodef Shalom. It’s open to all, but registration is required. Visit the Safe Community Coalition website for more information and registration: http://mcleanscc.org/. 

When Julie visited in 2016, it was to a packed, standing-room only auditorium (and some crazy thunderstorm and power outage, for those who remember!). Julie is an amazing and entertaining speaker; she tailors her talks to her audience (and comes to us from Palo Alto, California, a very similar community to ours), and shares actionable ideas from her own experience as a parent, college dean of freshman, and woman of color.

Brought to you through a partnership between the Safe Community Coalition and The Potomac School, this program will also be livestreamed for anyone unable to attend in person.

Thank you to our Youth Advisory Committee (YAC), their advisors Marlene Sandhu and Johanna Kidwell, and Cooper and Longfellow Middle Schools staff and eighth graders for making Middle School Forum (MSF) a great success! Middle schoolers asked about academics, athletics, social events in and out of school, boys, girls, lunch time--anything. MSF helps rising freshmen understand the value of knowing yourself, making choices that are right for you, and being prepared to deal with the consequences of your actions. Many thanks to both Marlene and Johanna for planning, leading, and managing this large group of busy teens. While more senior members of YAC train newer members, Marlene and Johanna have put in countless hours supporting them.

Sixth Grade Ethics Day also returned mostly in-person this spring. The SCC Board has been working with elementary counselors to see which schools are able to host Sixth Grade Ethics Day at their schools. Our longtime facilitator and former Board member, Dr. Melissa Sporn, works with volunteers to run our Could-Should-Would Model of ethical decision making with sixth graders at several elementary schools.

Come visit our tent at McLean Day 2022 on May 21 at Lewinsville Park. We’ll be sharing our mission, some of our favorite parenting advice handouts, and fan-favorite, face painting!

From the Washington Post On Parenting Blog

That’s one belief that everyone in our deeply divided country seems to share. The headlines have been terrible: “8-Year-Olds in Despair.” “Their Tank is Empty.” “No Way to Grow Up.” Parents are frustrated, terrified — and increasingly angry. And they don’t have to look far to find politicians and pundits who will channel their pain. Those with the loudest voices and the biggest platforms all appear to agree: The children’s mental health crisis is a consequence of covid-era political decisions — the child-sacrificing outcome of too-rigid social distancing, too-lengthy school closures and too much mask-wearing. “The pandemic’s disruptions have led to lost learning, social isolation and widespread mental-health problems for children,” the New York Times’ David Leonhardt summed up back in January in a much-quoted newsletter. “Many American children are in crisis — as a result of pandemic restrictions rather than the virus itself.”

Distress Tolerance: Top 6 Steps

From the FamilyFirst Blog

by Ana Homayoun, former SCC speaker, from her blog