How to Raise Capable Adults

On-Demand Class · Parenting

This class empowers parents of toddlers through teens to support their children's physical, mental, emotional, social, and academic success through simple, no-cost strategies that they can implement as early as tomorrow.

Class Description

The role of parenting has ALWAYS been to raise children, who become adults, who are prepared to be successful in an unknown future. That role hasn't changed, it just feels a lot more real in light of the pandemic and current world events. How do we know what careers will be essential in the future? How do we know what skills our children and teens will need? How can we hedge our bets to give our children and teens the best possible chance at success in an ever-changing world? Should we focus on athletics? Helping them become multi-lingual? Music proficiency? What extra-curriculars will they need on their college applications? What's their best chance for a scholarship? It's scary and overwhelming, BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE. This class empowers the parents of toddlers through teens to support their children's physical, mental, emotional, social, and academic success through simple, no-cost strategies that they can implement as early as tomorrow. Instead of doing MORE, this class encourages you to do things DIFFERENTLY, to take the pressure off of yourselves and your families by focusing on things that we KNOW make a positive difference in both short and long-term development and success.

Class Materials

Something for taking brief notes and an open mind!

Sessions Overview

  1. Welcome and What to Expect: Get to know your instructor, parenting coach Kate Garzón, M.Ed., and discover the format and goals of the class. It's a quick 6 minutes that will set you up for getting the most out of "How to Raise Capable Adults."
  2. Strategy Number 1, Sleep: We're starting with the basics! This simple strategy is a complete game-changer for short and long-term brain and body development. We'll cover why sleep is so important, what happens when kids and teens don't get enough, and how to make it more accessible for your family.
  3. Strategy Number 2, Play: Children and teens don't get nearly enough hours of child-led, unstructured play and it has serious impacts for their physical, mental, emotional, academic and social health. Learn about its importance and why a focus on play is more important (and less expensive!) than structured activities.
  4. Strategy Number 3, Protect the Relationship: A strong, healthy relationship with YOU is the most important protective factor against anxiety, depression, substance use disorders...and the list goes on. Learn how to protect your relationship with your kids and teens, even when you don't agree with their behavior or choices.
  5. Strategy Number 4, Set Boundaries: Having a strong relationship with your children and teens includes setting boundaries that are realistic for their ages and stages, for your family's values, and your family's circumstances.
  6. Strategy Number 5, Radical Downtime: The brain needs screen-free downtime and opportunities to daydream in order to be healthy. This session includes the rationale for the vital importance of daydreaming, and how to increase opportunities for daydreaming in your family.
  7. Strategy Number 6, Time in Nature: Humans are designed to live in harmony with nature. Learn how the sights, sounds, and smells of nature support problem-solving, emotional regulation, and healthy nervous systems.
  8. Strategy Number 7, Household Chores: Household chores build important life skills, as well as feelings of competency and gratitude, all of which are necessary for success in an unknown future.
  9. Strategy Number 8, Family Meetings: Want greater cooperation within your household? Family Meetings are the key to a democratic family that engages in collaborative problem solving, which leads to long term success in school and careers.
  10. Strategy Number 9, Service to Others: Service to others is--hands down--the best way to develop compassion, empathy, perspective-taking, gratitude and humility in your children and teens.
  11. Strategy Number 10, Be a Consultant to their Learning: Learn how shifting to a "consultant" role in your children's and teens' learning will benefit them throughout their lifetimes.
  12. Strategy Number 11, Freedom to be Responsible for their own Friendships: Friendships are how children and teens learn to be good humans, and they need to develop their abilities to interact, to process a wide range of feelings, and to make amends when they make mistakes in their friendships.
  13. Strategy Number 12, Avoid Early Specialization: Breadth of experience is more important than depth, for developing humans who can pivot and find success in unpredictable circumstances. Learn how to keep the joy in your kids' and teens' activities, and protect their physical, mental and emotional health at the same time!
  14. Wrap Up and Where to Go From Here: Wrap up and where to go from here. Be sure to print the "12-Strategies Refrigerator Sheet" and think about which strategy you'd like to try implementing first. Remember, you don't need to do MORE; just think about things DIFFERENTLY. Thank you and good luck!

Your Instructor

Kate Garzón

Kate Garzón, M.Ed., is a “GPS” for the parents of toddlers through teens! A parent educator and parenting coach who helps parents solve frustrating behaviors - and raise great humans- by focusing on relationship-building, understanding development, and skill-building. She helps loving parents who are tired of feeling like their efforts to “do it right” aren’t being reflected in their family lives. She is a firm believer that every parent does their very best - every day - and that sometimes all they need is an experienced, outside observer to help them understand their children’s and teen’s behaviors by making connections between who they are developmentally and how they experience the world. In addition to her 18-year career as a Montessori teacher in both Canada and the US for children aged 2.5-14, she has been a live-in nanny, camp counselor, sports coach, tutor, childcare provider, volunteer with children and teens with special needs, certified children’s yoga instructor, and an outdoor ed. enthusiast working with adolescents. She is a proud auntie to 14 nieces and nephews, an avid traveler, and an enthusiastic consumer of books and ice cream.

Degrees and Certifications

B.A. in Psychology with child development focus, M.Ed. in Global Citizenship Education, AMS Montessori Early Childhood and Elementary I and II Certifications, IB MYP certificates in Humanities, ongoing professional development courses in childhood trauma, anxiety, depression, Autism

More Classes For You

Browse all online parenting classes