Raising Kids Today: UF’s Psychology Program to Offer Free Learning Sessions for Caregivers

The University of Findlay’s Psychology Program will be offering Raising Kids Today, a seven-part series of free, public health-driven information sessions to assist caregivers with raising children.
Practical information, including the latest scientific research, will be presented monthly in accessible and meaningful ways. Topics discussed will be relevant to parents and guardians with children of all ages.
The talks, to be held in Old Main’s Ritz Auditorium, will be hosted by assistant psychology professors Andrea Mata, Ph.D., and Allison Kiefner-Burmeister, Ph.D.
Mata is a licensed clinical psychologist who has worked with children, teenagers and their families for more than 12 years. She specializes in children and teens who behave antisocially and aggressively. “To me, nothing is more rewarding career-wise than witnessing families improving how their family interacts and functions,” she said.
Kiefner-Burmeister is a developmental psychologist specializing in the healthy growth of children and teenagers. Her expertise centers on eating behaviors, body image issues, female empowerment and media influences. “Current scientific discoveries in child development are not always communicated well to parents and the public. It is my hope that I can use this parenting sequence to share this information to our attendees in a fun, manageable way,” she said.
All Raising Kids Today 1-hour sessions will be held at 7 p.m., and will include time for questions and answers.
Attendees are encouraged to bring a donation that will go to Hope House in Findlay. Monetary donations as well as the following items will be collected: canned food with pull tabs, toilet paper, diapers, paper towels, cleaning supplies and other household necessities.
The series’ schedule is as follows:
Sept. 27 – Promoting High Quality Sleeping Habits
Oct. 25 – Hacks to Improve Child Eating
Nov. 29 – Mastering the Art of Discipline
January 29, 2018 – The Media and My Child
Feb. 26 – Optimizing Extracurricular Activity Involvement
March 26 – Empowering Our Girls
April 30 – Summer Prep
Ritz Auditorium is located on the second floor of Old Main. Accessibility is aided by an elevator located at the building’s southwest corner.
Parking is available in the lot near Old Main and Shafer Library, and across Frazer Street at Winebrenner Theological Seminary.