Company Profile: Mid-sized professional services firm with broad employee demographics including parents with young children, school aged-children and teenagers, employees with aging family members as well as other busy professionals working to balance their careers and their personal lives.

Workshop Series: 10 workshops over 12 months

• 6 Parents At Work™ workshops
• 2 Generations At Work™ workshops
• 2 Vitality At Work™ workshops

 January

Topic: Parents At Work: The Long Journey - What To Pack??

Speaker: Social Worker and Media Personality

This workshop explores the ins-and-outs of parenting in an entertaining and informative way. The presentation’s journey begins with some good advice and a few practical tips for parenting throughout a variety of ages, stages, and family situations. The “What To Pack??” provides the framework for a few laughs and a couple of side trips, detours and road blocks along the way. A chance to relax, laugh and learn on the road to positive parenting.

February

Topic: Parents At Work: Common Childhood Medical Concerns 101

Speaker: Leading Pediatrician

Every parent has questions about their child’s day to day health, especially around flu season. This workshop delivers a comprehensive and practical approach to common childhood medical problems (e.g., fevers, colds, vomiting, when can you still send your child to daycare? and when you should see your doctor?).

March

Topic: Vitality At Work: Manage Your Time and You’ll Manage Your Stress

Speaker: Medical Doctor and Best-selling Author

What would you do (or want to do) if you had more time? This workshop will address time management which will also help people manage stress. Topics to be explored include; ‘what tips us over?’ – internal demands, personality traits, belief systems - as well as exploring the need for balance and making time for leisure when there is no time for leisure. Following the workshop participants will be equipped to create a personal action plan.

April

Topic: Parents At Work: Why Do My Children Keep Doing That?

Speaker: Parent Coach

This session is very interactive in style. Using different types of hats as metaphors for the reasons children misbehave, parents are taught how to crack the code of their children's misbehaviour and come to an understanding of:

• the child's hidden motivation,
• the child's “true belief” that is being expressed,
• the way parents unknowingly react in ways that maintain or worsen the misbehaviour.

This workshop is popular as it helps parents see children and their behaviour in a more positive and encouraging manner. Time is spent offering solutions that can be implemented immediately.

May

Topic: Generations At Work: Caring for Your Aging Parents

Speaker: Medical Doctor and Geriatric Specialist

This workshop will provide an overview of why looking after aging parents by children and other family members has become such an important topic and will explore factors such as the successes in the aging process, increases in longevity, mobility within families and the competing needs of children (who may have their own children and careers to nurture). Attendees will learn how to deal with common issues such as the importance of frank and open communication between parents and children, which includes difficult subjects such as end of life planning. Other issues that will be addressed include issues related to placement in long term care, challenges when a parent can no longer drive and issues related to the loss of cognitive abilities.

June

Topic: Parents At Work: Building Your Child’s Self-Esteem

Speaker: Parent Educator

This workshop will provide parents with practical suggestions to help them raise an “I can do it” kid. Specific strategies and tools will be introduced to foster self- esteem and self-confidence by examining the problem with conditional love and the power of encouragement.

Break for the summer months

September

Topic: Parents At Work: Bullying – What Parents Should Know

Speaker: Psychologist

There are a lot of myths surrounding the important topic of bullying. This workshop will provide parents with an overview of the issues related to bullying, distinguish between different types of bullying, including cyber-bullying, and provide strategies to help parents deal with this issue with their children.

October

Topic: Vitality At Work: Ignite Your Life – Goal Planning For Success

Speaker: Life Coach

“You can have it all. You just may not be able to have it all at one time.” This informative and interactive workshop will help employees explore issues of work-life integration, obstacles to achieving balance and goal setting. Participants will have fun, become more self aware, learn and walk away with an action plan and accountability for making a change in a desired area.

November

Topic: Parents At Work: Healthy Eating for the Whole Family

Speaker: Registered Dietician

Every parent faces challenges when it comes to feeding their children and this workshop will provide guidance relating to healthy meals, the importance of breakfast, suggestions for snacks and school lunches, as well as information pertaining to current food trends (low carb, trans fats, etc.). Other topics include parents as role models when it comes to developing healthy routines in their families.

December

Topic: Generations At Work: Helping Your Aging Parents With Their Finances

Speaker: Financial Expert and Author

Seniors face unique challenges and have different opportunities when it comes to their finances. Attendees who have assumed the role of caregivers will learn how to initiate a conversation with their parents regarding their finances and explore issues such as key documents (wills and powers of attorney), daily banking and paying bills, government benefits, housing options, reverse mortgages and working with financial advisors.