How do you raise thoughtful, caring, emotionally healthy children? And how do you do it in the face of struggle? If you’re a parent, no doubt these are questions you’ve asked yourself countless times.
So for our latest webinar, we invited longtime friend and MIF board member Joy Thomas Moore and Pittsburgh Foundation President Maxwell King to offer their insights on those questions and more. Both Moore and King have recently published books that offer wonderful insights on engaged parenting and early childhood development.
Moore, who has endured and overcome many obstacles throughout her single parenting journey, has beautifully packaged the lessons she has learned in her new book, The Power of Presence: Be a Voice in Your Child’s Ear Even When You’re Not With Them. In the book, Moore explores seven pillars of presence—heart, faith, mind, courage, financial freedom, values, and connectedness—that all parents can use to positively influence their children. The book takes a practical approach to finding ways to be the best parent you can be in spite of the exhaustion and challenges that come with parenting—single or not.
King’s new book, The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers, chronicles the life and work of Fred Rogers, who sought to foster compassion, equality and kindness in the lives of the tens of millions of children who tuned in to his show. Rogers was one of the most influential champions of early childhood development and was loved and respected for his fierce devotion to childrens’ fears, concerns and questions about the world. He also believed there was no substitute for parent-child time.
Watch this discussion on good and engaged parenting, and use the time stamps to follow along in the recording.
The webinar featured:
- Nina Sachdev (4:11), Communications Director, Media Impact Funders, who served as the conversation’s moderator and offered her experiences as a single parent.
- Joy Thomas Moore (6:02), President and CEO of JWS Media Consulting and longtime Media Impact Funders board member, who talks about the impetus for writing The Power of Presence, which shares own stories of struggle and resilience, and also highlights stories from women who have also been there.
- Hilary Pennington (12:40), Executive Vice President of Program, Ford Foundation, whose vignette appears in The Power of Presence. In the story, Pennington talks about how her mother made it her mission to provide her and her sister with every opportunity available. she witnessed her mother sacrifice for her special-needs sister.
- Maxwell King (20:17), President and CEO, The Pittsburgh Foundation, who talked about the impetus for writing the first authorized biography of Fred Rogers, and how much Rogers valued parents in addition to children.
- Kristen Burns (26:34), Associate Director, The Grable Foundation, who discussed how technology can help or hinder a parent’s presence in their child’s life.
