A+ Solutions, ParentingSimply.com and the Mandel JCC Early Childhood Center are hosting an evening with Lauren Ehrenreich, LISW-S
Her topic:
Appreciating Your Child’s Individuality: How Temperamental Differences Affect Young Children.
This is such an important issue. Understanding our children and their temperament can help us parent in better, more creative ways. When you understand that your child is not misbehaving but is probably just acting according to their temperament, there will be less fighting and more cooperation.
I wanted you all to get to know Lauren before our talk in 2 weeks, Tuesday, January 14th at 7:30pm at the Mandel JCC, so I interviewed her. You will love what she has to say:
Can you tell us a little about yourself?
I grew up in Cleveland and feel very connected to this city. I went to college and grad school at CWRU and have been a practicing Clinical Social Worker for 13 years. I am a mother of three children ages 15, 13, and 9. I love the experience of being both a mother and a therapist because both roles enhance the other. I learn so much from my clients which makes me a better mother and so much from my children that makes me a more well rounded therapist. I love diversity in my practice and like to work with both children and adults. I most enjoy being in nature. A perfect day for me is hiking in the woods with my husband, kids, and our dog.
What is the most important thing parents should know about parenting?
Parenting is hard. Struggling does not mean you are doing anything wrong. There is no such thing as a low maintenance child. Children are complicated and raising human beings to be happy, healthy, competent individuals is the hardest work that there is. Everyone needs guidance and support. Parents should never feel that seeking professional help is only for when there is a problem.
What is your basic parenting philosophy?
There is no one way to “get it right”. Different children need to be parented differently and what is right for one person will not be right for another. Every child needs to be heard and understood and everyone’s perspective is both subjective and valid. Our most important job as parents is to provide unconditional love and acceptance.
What do you love most about being a parent?
What I love most about being a parent is that every moment is meaningful. All time with children is “quality time.” It doesn’t matter what you are doing. Every moment is an opportunity to teach, model, appreciate, support, and love. Adults are all looking for meaning in their lives, for success, for accomplishment, for pride. We don’t need to look any further than to our children. No amount of money, no public recognition, no accomplishment could possibly be of value more than selflessly raising the next generation of quality human beings.
Being a therapist puts you in the position of helping parents all the time. What is the biggest problem that parents have today?
I think one of the most important parenting skills is learning to “balance.” We have to balance limiting what our children are exposed to with letting them have healthy exposure to challenges so that we have an opportunity to teach them the skills they will need to exist in this world. It is a difficult balance to find. Both should be considered protective. Children have more access than ever before to information. This is both wonderful and dangerous. As our children grow, we need to continually evaluate what to shelter them from and where to provide “emotional inoculation.” Just like a vaccination, we expose them to the reality of difficult things so that they can build skill, resiliency, and emotional strength.
What do you love most about what you do?
I honestly love my job and feel so lucky that I am able to truthfully say that. Working with children and families is truly a privledge. I feel honored that so many parents welcome me into the complexity of their lives in such a meaningful and trusting way. Therapy (whether reactive or proactive) is truly an intimate and unique relationship. The way I see it, I may have the expertise on human development, but parents are the experts on their own children. When we put our expertise together and collaborate in the safe space of acceptance and trust, we are able to together become incredible agents of change and growth. Each child that I work with will one day in their own way change the world. What could be better than feeling a part of that.
Thank you Lauren for your words of wisdom. We are looking forward to hearing more from you.
Come and join Lauren on Tuesday, January 14th.
Check out the flyer for more information:
