As a practitioner and lecturer of Positive Psychology, I often start with defining Positive Psychology by what it is not. It is not, for example, looking at life through rose-coloured glasses. It is not ignoring the bad and seeing only the good. Rather, it is acknowledging that when we are faced with obstacles and challenges, the way forward will always lie within the strengths we already possess, and not the weaknesses we allow to weigh us down. Positive Psychology challenges decades of research on what can go wrong with the human experience, and instead asks us to to think about why things go well. With this strengths-based approach in mind, I want to turn your attention to the concept of positive parenting. Regardless of the textbook definition (I have provided it below in case you want to know it), positive parenting simply puts the relationship with the child at the forefront.
Positive parenting is the continual relationship of a parent(s) and a child or children that includes caring, teaching, leading, communicating, and providing for the needs of a child consistently and unconditionally (Seay et all, 2014).
Luckily for us, taking place between September 22-29 is a free, online positive parenting conference that features 16 (that’s right, 16!) masterclasses from leading researchers and psychologists with a variety of topics that are sure to pique your interest. You can register and read about the event here. I hope that you will see the list of speakers and be as excited as I am to virtually attend. I am especially looking forward to the talk by Dr. Rick Hanson, whose work in neuroscience helped me to recognise my own negativity bias six years ago. Another speaker, Dr. Peg Dawson, has saved me many times as I reached for her book, “Smart but Scattered” to help a student struggling with organisation. There is something for every parent at this conference. I would love to hear your thoughts if you join this event. Reach me at mythanhmac@cdnis.edu.hk if you want to compare notes!
