Engaging speakers
Welcome to our SPEAK community. We are a coalition of 18 different K-8 independent schools in San Francisco working together to provide parent education to our school communities. We're here to support each other in creating a nurturing and insightful environment for our children's growth and learning. By joining SPEAK, you become part of a network that brings together renowned speakers from fields as diverse as parenting, diversity, children's mental health, and digital citizenship.
Who we are
At SPEAK, we believe in the power of shared knowledge and collective growth. Our community is more than just a platform; it's a collaborative space filled with insights, support, and warmth.
Whether you're looking to understand the complexities of digital citizenship, navigate the path of inclusive parenting, or explore strategies to foster your child's mental health, SPEAK is here for you. Let's empower each other in our parenting journey and foster a supportive environment for our children.
Ready to start making a difference in your family's life? Take the first step now.
Spring 2025 Event: Lynn Lyons
April 22, 2025 7:00 PM Hosted by Marin Country Day School Registration Details Coming Soon
From Stress to Screentime, from Freak-Outs to Friendships: What Parents Need to Know (and Do!) About Worry, Anxiety and Depression
Current news about young people and mental health has created warranted concern, but the information can be overwhelming and hard to sort through. Parents need dependable strategies to help their children manage their anxiety, moods, and social pressures, including social media and screens.
The ability to help guide our children requires – more than ever – an ability to recognize and address one’s own emotional management as we practice and model better skills to meet life’s challenges.
Based on current research and 35 years of clinical experience, Lynn Lyons will talk about the common traps adults fall into, the role of smart phones and social media, and key adjustments needed to manage the current surge of anxiety and depression in our kids and ourselves. Includes preventative measures!
About Lynn Lyons
Lynn Lyons is a licensed clinical social worker and psychotherapist in Concord, New Hampshire. She has been in private practice 35 years specializing in the treatment of anxiety disorders in adults and children.
Lynn travels internationally as a speaker and trainer on the subject of anxiety, its role in families, and the need for a preventative approach at home and in schools. She is a sought after expert, appearing in the New York Times, Time, NPR, Psychology Today, Good Morning America, Today Show and other media outlets. Lynn is a featured expert in the 2023 documentary Anxious Nation.
With a special interest in breaking the generational cycle of worry in families, Lynn is the author/coauthor of several books and articles on anxiety, including Anxious Kids, Anxious Parents: 7 Ways to Stop the Worry Cycle and Raise Courageous & Independent Children, and the companion book for kids, Playing with Anxiety: Casey’s Guide for Teens and Kids. Her latest book for adults and teenagers, The Anxiety Audit was released October ’22.
Lynn is the co-host of the popular podcast Flusterclux.
Our Most Recent Event
How to Talk When Kids Won’t Listen: A Workshop with bestselling author Julie King
Are you worn down by sibling scuffles, bedtime battles, or power struggles? Do you try to avoid using threats, bribes, and punishments, but find yourself relying on them just to get through the day?
Join best-selling author Julie King for an interactive workshop introducing practical tools from her How to Talk series that reduce conflict, strengthen connections, and promote cooperation. Through engaging exercises and relatable examples, Julie will demonstrate how humor, creativity, and respect can help parents navigate tricky situations without resorting to bribes, threats, or punishments.
Parents of children from Kindergarten through 8th grade will leave with actionable strategies to transform moments of frustration into opportunities for connection and collaboration. Whether you’re managing morning mayhem or guiding your child through big feelings, this session offers a whole new perspective on the parent-child relationship.
About Julie King
Julie King is the co-author of two internationally best-selling books: How To Talk So LITTLE Kids Will Listen: A Survival Guide to Life with Children Ages 2-7 and How To Talk When Kids Won’t Listen: Whining, Fighting, Meltdowns, Defiance, and Other Challenges of Childhood. Together with Joanna Faber, Julie created the parenting apps HOW TO TALK: Parenting Tips in Your Pocket and Parenting Hero. Their books have been translated into 30 languages worldwide, helping families across the globe.
Julie leads workshops, consults with parents, and speaks to schools, businesses, and parent groups both in the U.S. and internationally. A graduate of Princeton University (AB) and Yale Law School (JD), she lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and is visited by their three grown children.
Learn more at www.julieking.org, on Facebook: @faberandking, and on Instagram: @howtotalk.forparents.
Note: Speak with us about joining our waitlist to become a Member School