Tooled Up Education

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"Thought provoking, deeply engaging and totally relevant to every aspect of my work. Thanks so much for your passion and drive"
"I have taken SO MUCH from this session and I will review how I engage with parents and families. Thank you!"
Teacher, Stopsley Community Primary School
"Great practical strategies to develop resilience. Lots of ideas and inspiration."
South Hill School
“Expert and engaging, Kathy gives rich, evidence-based guidance. You will come away inspired and empowered”
Dr Johnny Noakes, Eton College
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Please complete the form below to book a talk, event or consultation with Dr Weston. One of the team will be in touch shortly and we aim to get back to you within the next working day.

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Tooled Up Talks Information

Talks for Parents
 
Dr Weston’s popular talks for parents are entirely evidence-based, packed full of actionable tips and delivered with a passion that stems from her deep-seated belief in the power of parental engagement to transform children’s lives. 

Dr Weston regularly delivers motivational, inspirational talks to parents in schools, universities and places of work. Check out the menu of talks available below. Topics listed reflect the most common concerns that parents have when raising children today. They also reflect Dr Weston’s interest in aspirational parenting and optimal outcomes for all children.

All of her talks are research-informed and packed full of practical tips for busy parents/carers. Unless specified, the talks are designed for parents of children of all ages.

Typically, talks normally last 1.5 hours (with 20-30 minute Q&A) but times can be adjusted upon request.

How to Raise a Resilient Child: A Parent’s Guide

Probably one of the most popular talks on Dr Weston’s menu, parents who attend this talk will leave understanding exactly what we mean by ‘resilience’ and understanding the powerful role that family plays in ensuring children grow up feeling emotionally, academically and physically resilient. No matter what comes their way, they will be prepared.

Building Positive Self-esteem in Children: a Parent’s Guide

Everyone wants their child to feel good about themselves, but how exactly does this happen? What do parents need to know, understand and do, to ensure that when their child looks in the mirror, they like what they see, and who they are?

Raising Boys in a Digital Age: A Parent’s Guide

Arguably the biggest challenge of all in parenting today is managing children’s appetite for digital technology and their relationship to it. There are different risks, challenges and opportunities online for boys that need to be properly understood by parents. This talk is about ensuring parents are well equipped to help their sons navigate this new world in a way that helps them flourish, whilst keeping them safe.

Raising Girls in a Digital Age: A Parent’s Guide

Arguably the biggest challenge of all in parenting today is managing children’s appetite for digital technology and their relationship to it. There are different risks, challenges and opportunities online for girls that need to be properly understood by parents. This talk is about ensuring parents are well equipped to help their daughters navigate this new world in a way that helps them flourish, whilst keeping them safe.

Screens, Tweens and Teens: A Parent’s Guide to Raising Children in the Digital Age

Parents often worry about how much time teens are spending online. How much is too much? What damage (if any) is this time spent at screens doing to their emotional and social development? Do you have anything to worry about? How can you help them harness the positive assets of associating with the digital world? How can you negotiate with them to make sure this happens?

Future-proof Your Child: A Parent’s Guide

Another powerful talk that addresses the most highly sought after and required skills that our children need to develop so as to be successful in today’s world. It refers to personal resilience, grit, character, employability and social skills and describes how parents can help children get into a positive mind-set where they are ready to embrace all of life’s rich opportunities.

Childhood Anxiety: A Parent’s Guide

Anxiety is at epidemic levels in our nation’s schools and in society more generally. This talk will help parents spot early warning signs of anxiety and help them better support their children. It will also talk about how parents can help children’s coping skills more generally through a range of evidence-based strategies.

Trauma and Identity: How Stories Can Help Children Heal

Unfortunately, it is estimated most children will experience least one traumatic event in their lifetimes. This talk helps parents understand the nature of trauma, how it impacts on a person’s sense of self, and how story-creation can help individuals develop strength, coping and greater resilience in the aftermath of trauma.

Icebergs: Understanding Threats to Children’s Health in the 21st Century

This talk collates the greatest challenges to children’s overall health and wellbeing in today’s world. What do parents need to know and how can they help their child avoid or at least navigate them?

Encouraging Children to ‘Open Up’: Positive Strategies for Parents

Every parent has experienced a child being utterly unresponsive following questioning by parents. Happily, there are simple techniques that will help your children and teens open up more easily! Parent-child communication naturally evolves over the years, but it always remains vitally important. This talk will give you an array of options for the next time you want to know how the school day was…

Keeping your Child Safe from Sexual Predators: A Parent’s Guide

1 in 20 children are sexually abused in the UK today. This talk is inspired by Dr Weston’s background as a criminologist and is aimed at ensuring parents are fully aware of the challenges involved in keeping our children safe. This talk is packed with facts, resources and practical ideas that parents can easily implement to positive effect.

Helping children cope with grief: the best evidence-based tips

In any given classroom, in any given year, there will be a handful of children who are grieving a significant loss. Teachers and parents often feel at sea when it comes to supporting these children both in the short and long-term. This talk shares the most succinct and best evidence-based advice that any adult working with children can use to best effect. Attendees will walk away with practical tips as well as a collection of e-resources that they can keep and share with interested colleagues and family members.

Family Life After COVID-19: processing what happened and reflecting on family coping as a gateway to family resilience. 

This talk encourages families to take stock of recent events and to reflect on lessons learned as a result of the crisis. Family resilience is borne from retrospection, reflection and dialogue so this talk encourages parents to take the lead during such discussions. Attendees will be provided with practical templates that can aid family talk. 

Navigating the Teen Years: the best of evidence-best tips for parents.

This talk helps reframe the teen years as a time of great innovation, creativity and emotional expression. Parents are helped to understand the unique pressures that teens face socially and emotionally, and are encouraged to parent in a way that promotes closeness with their teens. The talk underlines the importance of sleep hygiene, family consistency and routine, diet and physical exercise as critical components of a healthy teen’s life. It also includes some “red flags” that parents should be mindful of during these fascinating years of their child’s development. 

How to Help Your Child Revise: A Parent’s Guide

You know you want to help them but you are not sure how to… This talk introduces parents to the most effective strategies for revision and guides parents towards helping children implement them. Working towards and preparing for exams is a family effort I’m afraid!

Independent Vs State Education: what parents need to know

Perhaps you are thinking about a private education for your child, but before you splash the cash, you need to understand any potential pros and cons of an independent education, what represents value for money, and what you need to look for in any potential school.

How to Raise an Ambitious Child: A Parent’s Guide

Even from a young age, parents play a key role in shaping children’s aspirations and goals. Come along to this talk to learn about how family aspiration shapes children’s aspirations, how family stories are natural sources for ambition and how language used at home can influence outcomes.

Raising an Entrepreneurial Child: A Parent’s Guide

Even from a young age, parents play a key role in shaping a child’s appetite and interest in entrepreneurialism. Come along to this talk to learn about how you can introduce your child to the world of big ideas, getting noticed while you are still young and skilling oneself up with financial know-how and honed social skills. Children these days don’t have to wait to make it!

Making Blended Families work: Strategies for Success

Creating a blended family doesn’t have to be tricky. This talk introduces you to strategies that mean everyone is heard, involved and can participate in and enjoy family life.

How to Be a Brilliant Dad: An Evidence-based Approach

Introducing dads to why they matter to children’s upbringing and development. This talk is packed full of tips on how to make the most of time with your children, so that they flourish physically and emotionally.

Parenting Styles and How they Influence Children’s Outcomes

There are numerous parenting styles documented in the research literature, yet only one that truly stands out as offering children the best possible chance to thrive. Come along to learn more about authoritative parenting; how to implement it and outcomes you can expect to see when you do.

Talking about love, relationships and sex with teens: a parents’ guide

This talk covers all aspects of talking to tweens and teens about love relationships; how they might begin, feelings that they provoke and expectations around them. Dr Kathy Weston shares the very best evidence-based tips with parents or carers interested in conveying both positive messages to their children about love relationships, but equally ensuring that they have the skills to look after themselves and spot early signs of harmful relationships.

Why Sleep matters and how to get your Children to Sleep: the ultimate guide

Research suggests that a significant proportion of our children nationally (particularly those attending secondary school) are sleep deprived. In this talk, Dr Weston shares the latest data relating to sleep, discusses evidence relating to the importance of sleep and gives practical tips and ideas for parents to get their children (of all ages) to sleep.