The conference will feature a nationally known speaker, Dr. Kyle Pruett.

AUBURN – Advocates for Children will hold a Parenting Matters Conference from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 25, at St. Philips Church, Route 4. The theme is “Dads Make a Difference,” featuring speaker, Dr. Kyle Pruett.

Pruett is an international authority on many aspects of child and parent development, including pioneering research on fatherhood and its effects on children. “The role of the father and the mother can certainly be different,” he said.

But it’s important to understand that the roles of fathers and mothers are not cut and dried. Rather, said Pruett, they’re a mosaic – especially in the minds of children. “When we ask children to tell us what matters to them, they say what matters most of all is the amount of time parents spend with them.”

His latest book, “Me, Myself and I” (winner of the Independent Publisher’s Book Award), explains why parental influences during the first 36 months have such power to start their child on a healthy and happy course for life.

Pruett also authored “Fatherneed: Why Father Care is as Essential as Mother Care for Your Child” and hosted his own Lifetime cable series, “Your Child 6 to 12 with Dr. Kyle Pruett.” He has been a columnist on WebMD, MSN.com, parentsedge.com and contributing editor to Good Housekeeping, Child and Parents magazines.

A consultant for CBS Morning News, he has also appeared regularly on Good Morning America, 20-20, CBS This Morning and National Public Radio.

Workshops at the conference will include “Winter Kids”; “So You’re Going to Have a Baby!”; “Getting Ready for Kindergarten”; “Children’s Moods: Lessons from Winnie the Pooh”; “Media and Our Children”; and “Smart Meals, Busy Families; Seven Ways to Stay Connected to Your Children.”

Tickets are $15 a person or two for $25. Price includes the keynote session, two workshops, a morning coffee break and lunch. For more information or to request a registration flyer, call Advocates for Children at 783-3990.


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