Donegal Library Service are delighted to announce that leading Child Psychologist Dr Mary O’Kane will be hosting two online talks for parents this month.
These talks are taking place as part of Healthy Ireland at your Library, and will be available on the Donegal Library Services Facebook Page (@DonegalCountyLibrary).
The first event takes place on Saturday 11th with a theme of ‘Don’t Be A Second Chicken’ and the second will be on Saturday 18th July with the theme of ‘Raising Resilient Children’ at 11am.
Dr Mary O’Kane is a Lecturer in Education and Psychology. She is a regular contributor on Ireland AM and radio on both Parenting and Education issues. Dr O’Kane has provided events in Twin Towns and Bundoran libraries in 2019 and the Library Service is delighted to be working with her again.
Dr O’Kane explains the two talks: ‘Don’t Be A Second Chicken’ will discuss when our children are anxious they look to use for reassurance. Clinical Psychologist Lawrence Cohen coined the idea of ‘Being a Second Chicken’ when talking about how parents sometimes unintentionally heighten children’s anxiety.
‘If we respond to our child’s anxiety with anxious parenting it seems to confirm to the child that the world is not a safe space, and that they are right to be scared’.
In this upcoming video Dr Mary O’Kane explains the idea of the Second Chicken, and how we can instead respond to our child with empathy and calm confidence.
‘The Raising Resilient Children’ talk will explain how resilience is the ability to recover from life’s difficulties, the courage to fight back from adversity. Parents are one of the most important influences on children’s resilience. There are times when we cannot influence the stress they are under, but we can help them to develop coping skills to face life’s challenges, rather than swoop in and rescue our children from adversity’ .
In this video Dr Mary O’Kane looks at ways we can instead help our children to develop the strength to overcome setbacks themselves
Healthy Ireland at your Library is a national programme being funded by the Department of Health. Libraries in Donegal have access to over 120 books on the key topics of healthy eating, physical activity and mental health for both adults and children. In addition Donegal Library Service has access to ebooks and regularly run health events in libraries. For more information see www.donegallibrary.ie
