Parent With Purpose

As parents, we all want our children to have the happiest, brightest future possible, and we also would like to enjoy the journey! I created these seminars hoping to reach busy, overwhelmed parents, give them encouragement for their all-important work, a chance to reflect on their own parenting “purpose”, and practical, inspiring ideas for making meaningful moments with their young children that will fuel them for the work ahead. I look forward to speaking on a variety of research-based topics, all through this lens of CONNECTION. I believe that important, life-sculpting, bond-building , memorable moments of CONNECTION can happen anywhere and anytime for busy families, if we make the most of our time together and and are intentional about our interactions with the most important people in our lives, our children.

Here is what some parents have to say about my seminars:

“Loved this session! It was so helpful and interesting. I hope I can come to more in the future.” Talitha

“This was helpful, inspiring, and fun! Trifecta!! Thank you So much!” Stacie

“Awesome info! I went home to my kiddos and put the things I learned into effect right away. Thanks for sharing your knowledge, Lowry!” Tricia

“I truly enjoyed your ‘parenting with purpose’ presentation. It really spoke to me, and came just at the right time now that I am going to be at home full-time.” Meggan

“I need to thank you, again, for always reminding me what I know, but YOU end up making me make my children my priority during my busy work day.” Sally

My topics include:

Intentional Parenting: Taking a break from the daily grind, quieting the external pressures we feel as parents, and taking time to be intentional about the most important job in the world; examining our purpose as parents, and our vision for our families. We will focus on “intentional interactions” – simple and creative ways to include and prioritize loving interactions throughout your daily life with your children based on basic brain development and the latest research. We will talk about physical touch, discipline, how to talk to your child, and intentional activities that will help your child’s emotional and brain development, while making meaningful memories to last a lifetime.

The 3 R’s: Using Routine, Repetition, and Rituals to Strengthen Brain and Family Connections. We’ll discuss the many benefits of these tools for children and how to put them to practical use in your family.

The Power of Play: How to make play “work” for your child. We’ll talk about the latest research, ways to use play in your home and family on a daily basis to lay the foundations for future academic success, building family and brain connections along the way. What could be more fun?

Sing Your Day: Simple ways to use music throughout your day, bringing more joy, more bonding, and more brain connections.

Slow Family Living: How “slow and steady” can win the rat race! We’ll discuss the concepts of the “Slow Family Living” movement, its challenges and benefits in our fast-paced, high-pressure society, and brainstorm practical ways we can borrow some of its ideas for our own families and lives.

“In Our Family and in the World”: simple ways to live and label your family values in a positive, proactive, and real way that will make lasting family and brain connections, provide a sense of belonging and identity, and be an example for the community and world around you. We will focus on “teaching” happiness, mindfulness, helpfulness, gratitude, generosity, empathy, and kindness in an “IT’S ALL ABOUT ME!” world.

Fruitful Parenting: Using the biblical “Fruits of the Spirit” to inspire our Parenting, we will discuss practical ways to teach and model these spiritual gifts to our children, along with how these gifts appear in children of different ages and stages: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control.

Ooh, Baby, Baby: a class especially geared for new and expectant parents to discuss how to be with your baby in a way that maximizes baby’s development, while strengthening your bond.

Play, Laugh, Sing…Read, Listen, Hug: Using my personal parenting mantra, we will discuss what truly matters for our children, based on brain and child development, offering ideas for each age and stage.

Who’s Mothering Mommy? Moms of young kids are often running on empty because we’re giving to everyone else, and no one is giving to us! We’ll take a “time out” to talk and be with other overwhelmed moms as we discuss: What the research says about the importance of mommy-care; What brings us peace, joy, love, sanity in life as a mother and as a woman. We will spend some time focusing on ourselves, brainstorm ways to nurture ourselves while nurturing our children… because “If momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy!”

Family Rituals Workshop: We will discuss and brainstorm creative and simple ways to include daily, weekly, monthly, and seasonal family rituals that will help to provide vital connection and emotional grounding for your children and family amidst busy lives for years to come. I will guide parents in being “intentional” about the rituals they choose for their families, meeting important criteria for success and benefit. This is the stuff meaningful moments and memories are made of!

Namaste Parenting: Borrowing lessons from the teachings and practice of Yoga, we will discuss ways to incorporate these lessons of acceptance, mindfulness, compassion, self-control, honoring self and those around you, non-judgment, into our daily parenting practices as we strive to maintain an “inner calm” for our children. We will “practice” some basic yoga (with or without our children), spend some time in meditation and reflection, and leave feeling refreshed and “at peace”!

These classes are totally FLEXIBLE. They can be taught as a series, or separately. Several could be done in a retreat-setting, with time for small group discussion, or in conjunction with a family music class. They are for moms, dads, nannies, grandparents, anyone who cares about children. They can be done in homes, churches, schools, restaurants, community centers. They are interactive, engaging, fun, inspiring and practical, each presenting some of the latest research in child development along with take-home tips and usable phrases and activities to strengthen your family. I also offer several “Mommy Manders” parenting aids for sale at my seminars. Contact Me, and I will set up a great presentation geared specifically for your parent group.

I often present monthly seminars or discussions for my “Parent with Purpose” Meetup Group. Join to get updates at Mommy Manders Meetup