A highlight of the yearly Parents’ Association calendar is the Parent Roundtable/All School Evening when parents come together to learn from a leading expert about an important topic of interest to our families.
This year’s speaker is the “highly recommended” Dina Rose, PhD, author of the book It’s Not About the Broccoli, who will discuss pitfalls to healthy eating habits. Dr. Rose is a respected sociologist and parent education and feeding specialist who sought out practical, research based methods to help kids learn to eat right. Her premise is that parents can be too focused on nutrition, which leads to power struggles and picky eaters. Because she believes that there is a discrepancy between what we think we are teaching our children and what they are actually learning from us, Dr. Rose chooses to focus more on building healthy habits and recommends parents change their approach to a teaching mindset.
Dr. Rose’s goal is for children to learn healthy habits early on in their lives which translates into a lifetime of healthy eating. There are three fundamental habits she wants children to learn:
- Proportion – to eat foods in quantities that correspond to their nutritional value. To facilitate this habit, she divides foods into “growing foods,” “fun foods,” and “treat foods”
- Variety – eat different foods from day to day
- Moderation – the habit of eating only when we are hungry, and stopping when full
Dr. Rose’s approach is non-confrontational and allows children to remain in control of their bodies and to retain their dignity. Mark your calendars, open your mind to a new approach, and bring your vexing feeding concerns and questions for the expert.
Dr. Dina Rose, PhD
It’s Not About the Broccoli: Three Habits to Teach Your Kids for a Lifetime of Healthy Eating
Wednesday, January 16, 2019
6:30pm – beer and wine reception in the Lobby
7:00pm – presentation in the Theater
Childcare will be available for children ages 4+
ABOUT THE SPEAKER SERIES AND THE SELECTION PROCESS
The All-School Evening is a long-standing PA-sponsored event. Previous evenings have included a screening and discussion of the film Screenagers, psychologist Richard Weissbourd on “How Do We Raise Caring, Ethical and Caring Children,” and our own Park parent, Dr. Jenny Berz on “The Adolescent Brain (and what you can do about it!)” These talks bring parents together with some social time for a shared parental learning experience. A highlight is always the robust Q&A session where parents experience support from each other and the experts.
Parents Carol Batchelder, Erik Witkowski, and Elizabeth Whitaker chair the PA’s All School Evening Committee and are responsible for choosing this year’s speaker. Erik explains that they try to balance “the applicability of the topic for as many parents as possible, the urgency of the topic, the ability to provide a meaningful and helpful message to the parent audience in a one-hour lecture, and the ability to schedule a speaker who is engaging within the PA budget of $2500 for the year.”
The All-School Evening is a prime example of the Parents’ Association at work to encourage community building and student enrichment that ultimately supports our children and a whole child approach to educating.
