Registration required. Current University of Toronto students, staff, faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and their partners are welcome.

Ann Douglas will be speaking on “The Truth About Teens.”

This informative and encouraging presentation focuses on adolescent development (how understanding adolescent development can make you a better parent), parenting strategies (the three things teenagers need most from their parents), and the job description for the job of teenager (the four “key developmental tasks” of adolescence). It explains why the teen years can be such a challenging time for both parents and teens alike — and how parents can respond that challenge in a way that strengthens, not weakens, their connection to their teen. It also discusses the important role that parents can play in supporting adolescent mental health throughout the teen years and beyond—and what that means in practical terms (how parents can apply this information to their everyday lives, starting right now).

Facilitator: Ann Douglas sparks conversations that matter about parenting and mental health. She is a frequent contributor to CBC Radio and a bestselling parenting book author. Ann is the creator of The Mother of All Book series and the author, most recently, of Happy Parents, Happy Kids and Parenting Through the Storm. A passionate and inspiring speaker, Ann delivers keynote addresses and leads small-group workshops at health, parenting, and education conferences across the country.

Ann Douglas will be hosting a conversation with members of the Erin Mills Connects community.

It’s Not Just You: A Conversation About Pandemic-Related Exhaustion and Burnout

Over the course of the pandemic, Ann Douglas has been hard at work on a brand-new book for and about women. Her research has given her the opportunity to have heart-to-heart conversations with well over 100 women: women who have been grappling with all kinds of different pandemic-related challenges. Ann will share some of what she learned from these conversations: how the pandemic has added to the heavy workload that women were already shouldering back in pre-pandemic times (and that has been even heavier for some women); and what this has meant in terms of the overall health and well-being of women. She’ll be encouraging you to reflect on your own experiences — both the challenges you’ve faced and what you’ve learned about yourself as you’ve lived through this strange and uncertain time.

Ann Douglas will be speaking to staff of this progressive, non-profit child care and early learning organization.

Lunch and learn session for University of Toronto students, staff, faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and their families. Registration required. Details to follow.

Ann Douglas will be speaking about “Journeying Together: The Why and How of Family Engagement” as part of this workshop series for professionals working with families.

Event Details

• Monday, May 27, 2019 at 1 PM – 2:30 PM

• Charlotte Street Arts Centre, 732 Charlotte Street, Fredericton, New Brunswick E3B 1M5

• This event is free, but a ticket is required.

Workshop Description

Journeying Together: The Why and How of Family Engagement

Wondering what it takes to inspire families to engage with your organization in a sustained and meaningful way? In this thought-provoking and information-packed presentation, Ann Douglas surveys the latest research on family engagement in education, health care, and related settings and delivers a powerful action plan for organizations that are truly committed to engaging with the families they serve.

You’ll learn:

· What other organizations that have done ground-breaking work in the field of family engagement have to teach you about making authentic connections with families.

· How to apply the latest research on the science of family engagement to your own work with families.

Ann will be delivering “The Umbrella Workshop: Supporting Families Through the Storm” as part of this speaking series for professionals who work with families.

Event details:

• Monday, May 27, 2019 from 9:30 AM – 11 AM

• Charlotte Street Arts Centre: 732 Charlotte Street, Fredericton, New Brunswick E3B 1M5

• This event is free, but a ticket is required.

Workshop description:

The Umbrella Workshop: Supporting Families Through the Storm

Wondering what you can do to make a difference for a child or a family who is struggling? Eager to learn how you can communicate your caring and support in a way that recognizes and builds upon the strengths of that family? In this practical and inspiring presentation, Ann Douglas will connect the dots between the growing body of research about family support and engagement and the real-world needs of children and families. After all, if it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a village to support that child’s parent. Here’s how to be that village….

Learning objectives:

• Learn strategies for helping parents navigate difficult parenting challenges that can directly impact mental health outcomes in parents and children.

• Understand your role in supporting an individual with a mental health challenges—and the importance of supporting other family members at the same time.

• Discover best practices for building trust with families who are struggling—and in a way that is validating and empowering.

“Supporting the Parenthood Journey: A Conversation with Ann Douglas and Amanda Munday”

Join Ann and Amanda for an in-depth conversation about the intersection of parenthood and mental health and how we can support each other as parents, colleagues, and neighbours.

This is a free event, but tickets are limited and pre-registration is required.

*Please note this event is scheduled at a family-friendly time, will include snacks and non-alcoholic beverages. Childcare is available for this event. Please email hello@theworkaround.ca to reserve your spot.

Happy Parents, Happy Kids and Day Nine: a postpartum depression memoir will be available for purchase at this event, and there will be an opportunity for book signing after the Q&A with Ann and Amanda.

About Ann Douglas:

Ann Douglas is a bestselling parenting author and the weekend parenting columnist for CBC Radio. She is the creator of The Mother of All Book series and the author of Parenting Through the Storm. In February 2019, HarperCollins Canada published her latest book, Happy Parents, Happy Kids.

About Amanda Munday:

Amanda Munday is the sole owner and founder of The Workaround, a coworking space with childcare in Toronto. She is a skilled storyteller with years of experience growing companies through social media, traditional marketing and public relations. Her first memoir Day Nine details her experience of severe postpartum depression which culminated in an 18-day involuntary stay in a Toronto psychiatric ward.

Amanda has received international media coverage including being named an inspirational speaker in Forbes Magazine. She is also a regular contributor to the Globe and Mail on topics related to economic opportunities for women and universal childcare. In November 2017 she secured a federal petition on universal childcare which was tabled in the House of Commons.

Ann Douglas will be presenting "The Umbrella Workshop: Helping Families to Weather the Storm" -- a workshop for first responders supporting families in crisis. The workshop will emphasize strategies for supporting parents and other family members when a family member is in crisis (how to make a real difference for that family — and in a potentially life-changing way) and important messages families need to hear from their community, when those families are in the midst of weathering a storm. 

Ann Douglas will be the keynote speaker at the Toronto Public Library's Tutor Conference 2017 (a professional development day for tutors volunteering with the Toronto Public Library system). She will be speaking on "The Power of Connection: A mental health toolkit for tutors working with child, youth, and adult learners."

Workshop description: Wondering what you can do to make a difference for a learner who is struggling with a mental health challenge? Eager to learn more about managing challenging behaviours? This thought-provoking and highly interactive session will provide you with the tools you need to forge powerful relationships—and in ways that support mental health. 

You’ll learn
• The importance of taking a “learner’s eye view” of the tutoring process as a means of better understanding and meeting the needs of each individual.
• The best ways to respond to challenging behaviours in learners and their family members (everything from missed appointments to angry outbursts to extreme anxiety). 
• The power of relationship (why relationships are fundamental to the success of the tutoring process—and how to seize the opportunity to make a difference for each learner).

Ann will be presenting at the 2017 York Region District School Board Quest Conference. The theme of this year's conference is "The Quest for Well-Being: A Collective Commitment." 

Workshop description: "Let’s Spark a Revolution of Caring"

In this inspiring and story-rich workshop, Ann Douglas will talk about ways to spark a revolution of caring in our classrooms and communities. She will talk about how practicing self-care and self-compassion create the foundation for a healthy community (a critical message for students, teachers, parents, support staff and other community members). She will also talk about ways to make caring contagious by offering support to others.

Conference registration details here.

Employee lunch and learn on mental health. Private workplace event.