Dr. Michael Popkin has spent the last 20 years answering questions like these for concerned parents and teachers.

Michael Popkin’s warmth, humor and wisdom captivate audiences, but his message changes lives. People leave his presentations not only with a desire to teach and raise children differently, but also with the tools they need to do the job.

Dr. Popkin’s basic parenting and teaching philosophy adapts Adlerian psychology to the reality of today’s democratic society. The autocratic norms of the past no longer work, but autocracy need not be replaced by lawlessness. Instead, today’s children both need and want to learn to take charge of their own lives, to make responsible, cooperative and courageous choices. Dr. Popkin teaches parents and educators how to help children be the people they deserve and crave to be.

Dr. Popkin’s interest in children’s well being began when he himself was a child growing up in Camp Blue Star, a summer camp his father owned and operated in Hendersonville, North Carolina. He advanced from camper to camp counselor and eventually to camp director, but his years of observing children at the camp eventually led him away from the family business into the field of child psychology. He received a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Georgia State University, and traveled to Vienna, Austria and England for further study. He served as Director of Child and Family Services at an Atlanta hospital before spending several years in private practice. His work with confused parents and unhappy children convinced him that parents were not receiving the information and the tools they needed to help their children become responsible, contented adults. His desire to help greater numbers of families resulted in the founding of his company, Active Parenting Publishers. Since introducing his video-based Active Parenting Discussion Program, Dr. Popkin’s methods have had an impact on over two million parents in North America.

For information on costs and how to bring Dr. Michael Popkin to your organization or conference in Canada, call his assistant at 1-800-668-5131, or e-mail apcanada@telus.net .

Dr. Popkin presents the following topics in keynote address or workshop format:

Self-Esteem, Discipline and Parenting for the 21st Century
What qualities will children need to thrive in the next century? How can parents help them to internalize these qualities? Traditional discipline techniques no longer work—and may even backfire—and new permissive models have let parents down. Yet children still desperately need and want parental guidance. In this seminar, parents will learn how to effectively discipline their children while building self-esteem, courage and integrity.

Getting Through the Maze: Communication Skills for Parents of Teens
"You don’t understand!" This teenage battle cry is partly true: young people today face for different challenges than they did twenty or thirty years ago. But communication between parents and teens is not only possible but also essential. Participants learn five steps to better communication with teens; who "owns" teen problems; and the surest ways to shut down communication with a teenager.

The Dynamics of Self-Esteem and Character Development
Children cannot think well of themselves if they do not behave in responsible ways. Participants learn how to help children take responsibility for their decisions, develop friendships, and become better students—all skills that result in true self-esteem.

Parents on Board: Building Academic Success through Parental Involvement
Research shows that children’s academic success can be predicted by how involved a parent is in their schooling. What constitutes effective involvement? How can it be achieved? This session can be geared towards parents who want to get more involved; or teachers who want to help parents participate in their classrooms. Sessions can be held back to back so the both parents and teachers understand the principles of effective involvement.

Active Teaching: Enhancing Discipline, Self-Esteem and Student Performance
Educators often complain that they spend too much time on classroom management and not enough time on teaching. By following Dr. Poplin’s adapted Adlerian model, which is neither autocratic nor permissive, teachers can maintain classroom discipline while instilling in their students personal responsibility, respect, self-esteem, and cooperation.

How to Keep Your Kids Drug-Free: Ten Key Roles for Parents
In this session, Dr. Popkin shares the recommendations he helped prepare while serving on the U.S. Office of Substance Abuse Prevention Task Force. The ten roles parents play in protecting their children against drug abuse are directly related to the Active Parenting model.

Other Program Topics:

• Taming the Power-Drunk Child
• How to be an Active parent in a Reactive World
• Key Skills for Discipline and Encouragement
• Teaching Logical Consequences via Video-Based Modeling
• Applied Adlerian Psychology: A Framework for Effective Parenting Education
• The Physician’s Role in Parent Education
• Are Your Camp Staff Members Self-Esteem Builders or Breakers?
  

Dr. Popkin Shares His Insights With:

• Schools and School Systems
• Educational Associations
• Childcare Organizations
• Professional Associations
• Corporations
• Healthcare Organizations and Hospitals
• Community Organizations for Abuse or Drug Prevention
• Mental Health Organizations
• Churches and Religious Organizations
• Government Agencies
  

Some Organizations Dr. Popkin Has Addressed:

• American Counseling Association
• American Camping Association
• American School Counselors Association
• Baltimore Mayor’s Annual Conference on Childcare
• National Dropout Prevention Conference
• Presbyterian Family Enrichment Conference
• Child Abuse Council of York
• Community Partnership for a Drug Free Trumbull County
• The Government of Kuwait
• Marietta City Schools
• Scottish Rite Children’s Medical Center