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The Charlotte Jewish News - March 2012 - Page 10 The Blessing of a Visit from Wendy Mogel On January 11 and 12, Joined in Education (JIE), a joint project of Charlotte Jewish Day School, The Charlotte Jewish Preschool, and The Jewish Preschool on Sardis, sponsored Two Days with Dr. Wendy Mogel, author of The Blessing of a Skinned Knee and The Blessing of a B Minus. During her visit. Dr. Mogel’s chock-full schedule included a major donor reception, keynote speech (“The Big Talk”), parent breakfast, a meeting with students, and a teacher workshop. The universal response was “WOW!” First on Dr. Mogel’s agenda was a meeting with area middle and high school students. Dr. Mogel has been meeting with teens across the country, learning from them and compiling data in support of her next book. As par ents brought their teens in, several asked Dr. Mogel, “Do you think the high school kids will say much? My son never speaks at home.” Dr. Mogel answered, “In my experience, middle school kids usually have a lot to say and the high school kids will be much more reluctant.” Well, our won derful group of young people not only engaged in conversation with her, but left wanting more time with her. After a short break. Dr. Mogel settled in for an evening of meet ing, greeting, and lecturing. The night began with a pre-reception for major supporters and donors, giving those in attendance a chance to meet Dr. Mogel in a more intimate setting. Following the pre-reception, everyone gath ered in Knight Theater to hear Dr. WORK WITH A LEADER IN CHARLOTTE REAL ESTATE w/m: Executive Realty 704-926-2544 office 704-975-8500 cell www.LepowRealtors. com i •0 Steve r Lepow LEADING the WAY TO YOUR SUCCESS Mogel’s keynote address, other wise known as “The Big Talk.” During the presentation. Dr. Mogel referenced her most recent book. The Blessing of a B Minus, by addressing a common question asked by parents: How can I be an effective parent in a culture that breeds anxiety and entitlement in children? Dr. Mogel acknowl edged that parents have more rea sons to worry as children transi tion from adolescence into teenagers; after all, there is a big difference between teaching your child to ride a two wheeler and helping them get behind the wheel of a car. Dr. Mogel advised, how ever, that even though parental concerns are real and the dangers scary, teens need to face difficult challenges to grow into resilient, optimistic, and independent adults. She feels that parental “overreaction” to adolescence can impair a child’s ability to reach their true potential, and is more of a threat to their development than the real-world dangers faced by today’s teens. “Be alert, not alarmed,” she advised. As parents, we should be sup portive and loving caregivers, not micromanagers prone to overreact to our children’s missteps. Dr. Mogel recommends that worri some teen behaviors be met with thoughtful care, not anxiety. “Parents,” Dr. Mogel said, “need to recognize that the adolescent road will be bumpy. It’s supposed to be.” But, she offered, parents are up to the job. Her words - “Remember that a snapshot of your teenager today is not the epic movie of his/her life.” Much of Dr. Mogel’s philosophy is grounded in classical Jewish values and teachings. She empha sizes the importance of leading by example through bitachon (trust in God), faith in your child and your own parenting, and by appropriate action. By the end of the night, the sold out crowd of 1,100 people had laughed at her jokes, nodded at her words of wis dom, and offered a prolonged ova tion in appreciation of her teach ings. The following day. Dr. Mogel attended a parent breakfast fol lowed by a teacher workshop. Attendees had the opportunity to ask questions of Dr. Mogel that were more specific to their partic ular child/situation. While offering a voice of compassionate reason and common-sense wisdom on the complicat ed nature of raising teens. Dr. Mogel stressed the importance of “maintain ing composure and creat ing some distance” as being vital in this culture where fear of adolescence, rather than its promise, seems predominant. Our teenagers “need to make Wendy Mogel speaking at the teachers’workshop. dumb mistakes to get smart.” Whether you are the parent or the teacher in a teen’s life, “put the oxygen mask on yourself before you put it on your child” and by doing so, “take the opportunity to cher ish what being a teen really means.” Those of us fortu nate enough to have attended at least one of the four JIE-spon- sored events featur ing Dr. Mogel, were given the gift of reassurance: reassurance that teens will make mistakes they’re supposed to make, and yes, we as parents will make mistakes we are supposed to make; but if we’re smart and work with our children, we can better avoid the big mis takes when it comes to raising teens. Parents can find comfort and peace in Dr. Mogel’s teach ings. And that is a blessing.^ Michelle Rusgo with Wendy Mogel Three Families and the Jewish Preschool on Sardis (Continued from page 8) kids who left JPS we more than ready for kindergarten.” Sam: “Intimacy, smaller and cozy groups, for children to not get lost in the shuffle, for my kids to have fun, to meet nice children, for me to meet friends through the FREE CONSULTATION Medicare Supplement And Long Term Care What long term care is and why you and your loved ones are at high risk for needing care at home or in a facility. Why the limited henellts from Government (Medicare or Medicaid) are not a good choice for your long term care needs. At what age should you consider buying long term care insurance. You will he surprised to know why and how buying at a younger age is better for you. Compare different Medicare Plans and determine which is best for you. Find which company offers the most competitive rates for the plan you want. Find Out ► Milton Goldstein, CLTC Certified Long Term Care Specialist Charlotte, NC: (704) 442-5618 Cell: (205) 907-0670 E-mail: miltgold(o)bellsouth.net Visit my Web Site www.goldsteinltc.com Licensed in 11 States children at school.” Julie: “The educa tion and quality of the teachers, the ratios, the school size, the per sonal attention and familiarity with the families.” What is your favorite thing about The Jewish Preschool ou Sardis so far? Lisa: “The support ive, friendly staff, other parents. From the first day, he loved it and made friends. He integrated immediately and comes home singing the brachot, songs he learned. I like that families come from different backgrounds. Some are in public schools, others are in private. Some are stay-at- home moms and some work, some are from Charlotte, some just moved like me.” Sam: “It immediately felt like family with a sense of community. Moms reached out with emails and phone calls for hair places, things to do, invitations to get together. She is jumping up and Maggie with her friends dressing up for a wedding. down on school days. She really loves it here. I enjoy the weekly Mommy & Me classes.” Julie: “The Judaica customs are great. It makes me happy that she is excited each school day. She looks forward to being at JPS. Extended day is a way for her to make additional new friends with kids from other classes. There is a whole other level of interactions with kids and teachers for Judaica, additional education, reinforcing the benefits of outdoor time. It’s fantastic and the teachers are great!” Is there anything you would want others to know about JPS? “Everyone should consider JPS.” “It is a hidden gem.” “You should definitely come and see it!” Thank you, ladies, for sharing your thoughts about The Jewish Preschool on Sardis. We truly love having your families here. For more information about our preschool, extended day options, or camp, please call 704-364- 8395. « Olivia all dressed up.
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