Parenting the Child You Have

A conversation about letting go of expectations, building stronger relationships, and supporting children as they grow into who they are.
About this Event

Parenting the Child You Have

Every parent imagines who their child will become. But as children grow, they often reveal strengths, interests, identities, and challenges that parents never expected. Maybe your child struggles with anxiety or emotional regulation. Maybe they're neurodivergent. Maybe they're exploring their LGBTQ+ identity. Or perhaps they have passions, talents, or dreams that are very different from your own. Whatever the differences, it's easy to fall into the trap of comparison or wonder whether you're doing enough.

Join Hillside for an honest conversation about what it means to parent the child you have, not the child you imagined. Through the perspectives of clinicians and parents with lived experience, this panel will explore how understanding your child's unique needs can strengthen your relationship, build trust, and create opportunities for growth.

You'll leave with practical strategies you can use right away, including:

• Validation and emotional attunement
• Collaborative problem-solving
• Responding instead of reacting
• Adjusting expectations without lowering them
• Building stronger relationships through understanding, not fixing

Whether you're raising a young child or a teenager, you'll leave with practical tools to navigate everyday challenges and help your child thrive.

Thank you to our sponsors!