Conference to consider 'Possibilities in Parenting'
By Debra Carr-Elsing, The Capital Times
Everything from parenting teens to evaluating the risks and benefits of immunizations will be covered at a parenting conference Saturday at the Marriott-Madison West.
This is the second annual Madison Birth Center Conference, and its theme this year is "Exploring Possibilities in Parenting."
"There is a 'parenting community' in Madison, and this is a chance for parents to get together in a larger forum to share ideas and to celebrate parenting," says Aszani Kunkler, a certified nurse-midwife and director of the Madison Birth Center in Middleton.
The conference will bring together several nationally acclaimed authors and parenting experts, including Dr. Robert Sears, author of "The Baby Book: Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby from Birth to Age Two"; Ariel Gore, editor and publisher of "Hip Mama: The Parenting Zine"; Aviva Jill Romm, a certified midwife and president of the American Herbalists Guild; and Bob Wright, co-founder of the Wright Institute for Lifelong Learning.
Conference participants may register at the start of the daylong conference, which begins at 8 a.m., or they may choose to attend interactive workshops only in the morning or afternoon. Online registration is encouraged at www.madisonbirthcenter.com. Anyone wanting lunch or child care needs to register by Wednesday.
For more information, call the Madison Birth Center at 821-0123.
"We wanted to bring some of these thoughtful national experts to Madison so parents could get a flavor of what they're talking about in the rest of the country," Kunkler says.
Workshops will look at how parenting has changed for the newest generation of moms, as well as offer insight on natural pregnancy, child discipline and what's normal in terms of development for teenagers.
"Normal teenage stages can look unusual to us, and knowing about these situations can help us maintain our cool as we deal with our children," Kunkler says.
During afternoon sessions of the conference, an extensive program of children's activities is available, along with half-day registration options.
A variety of parenting and childbirth classes, including a free class for new mothers, is offered at the Madison Birth Center, which is a community resource for parenting and midwifery issues. There are even prenatal yoga and infant massage classes.
"Our goal is to give people information they can use in their life as a parent," Kunkler says. "We feel strongly that everyone benefits when parents network."
REPRINTED FROM:
The Capital Times
September 14, 2004
