Base Camp Parenting: Worry Less to Help Your Kids More
Tuesday, December 15, 2026 | 11:00 am – 12:00 pm EST | Virtual & MC 4-100
Psychologists Susan Bauerfeld and Chris Parrott lead a helpful discussion on how to minimize worry-fueled parenting. Constantly trying to secure good outcomes and remove discomfort not only exhausts parents but places excessive pressure on children to succeed, stunts their ability to problem solve, and damages parent-child relationships, according to the authors, who assert that shifting one’s mindset away from worrying and toward coping can help parents raise more confident kids. Bauerfeld and Parrott encourage parents to imagine their children climbing Mt. Everest, and they are the Base Camp leaders, comparing the unpredictable conditions of a mountain to the obstacles that inevitably crop up in a child’s life. After laying out the myriad ways worried thinking manifests (fixations on events that are not currently happening, what-if spirals, thoughts that are full of “shoulds”), the authors offer a step-by-step framework for moving away from it. Readers should name their concern, evaluate whether it is a true emergency, restore calm by deep breathing or moving the body, and take a step toward coping, which could involve focusing on connectedness with one’s child or asking them, “What would help right now?” Filled with actionable steps, this is a smart resource for reducing parental stress.
Host: Stuart Fisher
Presenters: Susan Bauerfeld and Chris Parrott
Join In-Person: MC 4-100
Join Virtually: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/28701230599987?p=zv0QC5IWJf7r0g5Xsm
Meeting ID: 287 012 305 999 87
Passcode: Jz9zV9UT
Bios:
Susan Bauerfeld, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist, IFS therapist, speaker, parent consultant/coach, and ADHD coach. Since retiring from her private practice, her speaking centers around managing challenges related to anxiety, child-raising, learning differences, and technology.
Chris Parrott, CPsychol, is a British Psychological Society Chartered Counseling Psychologist and a board-certified coach. In her private coaching practice, she specializes in working with emerging adults and parents. She is co-author of Reach Before You Teach: Ignite Passion and Purpose in Your Classroom and Doing Therapy Briefly.