Mac Bledsoe is the father of NFL-great Drew Bledsoe, and he and his parenting program has been featured on the TODAY Show, ABC’s 20/20, CBN, and on countless other national and local radio and television programs. There are numerous inspirational stories across the country about how these philosophies and methods have impacted childrens’ futures and the relationships with their parents. Three Bledsoe mini-workshops will be presented the first week of February, and the details on these events can be found below. These special mini-workshops are only offered twice per year, so we strongly recommend that parents plan to attend!
The first workshop is Mac on video and titled “Being an Effective Parent in Today’s Culture” to be presented at the Richland Library on Saturday, February 2nd from 9:45 am to Noon. Today’s family structure, typical home environment, and impact of media influence are not what our parents and grandparents experienced in the mid to late 1900s. Today, the average American 12-year old child has watched over 100,000 acts of violence, including over 8000 murders. Approximately 17% of 10-11 year olds are exposed to pornography unintentionally, and 80% of 12-17 year olds have viewed pornography. 10% of kids try marijuana before age 13, and over 22% of kids are using it. Each year, approximately three million kids, aged 12 to 17, either think seriously about suicide or attempt suicide. This first Workshop will show parents how to raise responsible, independent children of strong character that influence the culture instead of negative aspects of today’s culture influencing them. It will show parents how do get children to NOT reject Mom and Dad and their values, and how to build and maintain (or repair) strong parent/child relationships. Effective for parents with children ages 1-18.
The second workshop is Mac on video and titled “Effective Discipline While Building and Maintaining Strong Parent/Child Relationships” to be presented at the Richland Library on Saturday, February 2nd from 2:00 pm to 4:15 pm. What has happened over the years is that some discipline methods have become popular because they have been perceived as effective, although in reality parents did not know that they were ineffective in the long-term. The best example of this is corporal punishment, usually in the form of hitting or spanking, which has been used by a majority of parents for decades. This discipline method has been popular in American society for two main reasons: 1) It can be used immediately without work or thought by the parent and, 2) It usually works as intended – to modify the behavior. However, numerous studies show very clearly that corporal punishment only modifies the behavior for the very short-term, not long-term; and the method is associated with the tragic byproduct of disintegration of the parent/child relationship and a less happy, less successful child. Mac Bledsoe will present what many experts believe is the most effective discipline method in existence, which builds and maintains strong parent/child relationships, and which preserves the dignity of both parent and child. If parents use this natural discipline method they will realize that it feels natural, that it makes common sense, and so parents are not continually feeling guilty for making what they feel were wrong choices about their discipline methods. Parents attending this workshop are encouraged to attend the first workshop as well. Effective for parents with children ages 1-18.
The third workshop will be presented by Mac Bledsoe in person, and is titled “Helping Our Children Reach for the Stars, and Achieve What They Choose!”. It will be presented at the Richland Library on Monday, February 4th from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm. This workshop is targeted to parents, coaches, educators, and teens. Mac Bledsoe will explain simple concepts on how children (and adults) can reach their goals in life, whether the goal is to become a successful singer, musician, artist, doctor, astronaut, athlete, etc.. These are the same steps his son, Drew Bledsoe, used to achieve NFL stardom without having super athletic ability! Parents are strongly encouraged to bring children ages 12 and up for this powerful workshop (children are free for this workshop).
These workshops are at the Richland Library, 955 Northgate Drive (Near Kadlec Hospital). Cost is $20 per workshop. Pre-registration is required at midcolumbiaparenting.org. See the Events page for details. Contact Mark Murphy at 845-2092 for information.
