What Parent Nation Can Tell Us About Our Kids And Our Parenting

220 W. Garden Street,Pensacola FL 32502

12 June, 2022

Description

Dr. Dana Suskind Shares Insights From Her New Book: Parent Nation World-class pediatric surgeon, social scientist, and best-selling author of Thirty Million Words: Building A Child's Brain, Dr. Dana Suskind will share at a CivicCon presentation a revelatory new look at the neuroscience of early childhood development—and how it can guide us toward a future in which every child has the opportunity to fulfill their potential. Her prescription for this more prosperous and equitable future, as clear as it is powerful, is more robust support for parents during the most critical years of their children’s development. Her presentation is based on her new book, Parent Nation, written with award-winning science writer Lydia Denworth. This book helps parents recognize both their collective identity and their formidable power as custodians of our next generation. Weaving together the latest science on the developing brain with heart-breaking and relatable stories of families from all walks of life, Dr. Suskind shows in Parent Nation that the status quo—scores of parents convinced they should be able to shoulder the enormous responsibility of early childhood care and education on their own—is not only unsustainable, but deeply detrimental to the wellbeing of children, families, and society. Says the publisher of Parent Nation: "Anyone looking for a blueprint for how to build a brighter future for our children will find one in Parent Nation and can learn its main elements at this speaker event that is free and open to the public. Informed by the science of foundational brain development as well as history, political science, and the lived experiences of families around the country, this book clearly outlines how society can and should help families meet the developmental needs of their children. Only then can we ensure that all children are able to enjoy the promise of their potential." Dr. Suskind has a long relationship with Pensacola through her association with Studer Community Institute and its Early Brain Development program. She also inspired Pensacola to proclaim itself the nation's first Early Learning City. Pensacola moms spent nearly two years on the front lines of University of Chicago research to help change the trajectory of young children from the very first days of life. The research was part of a partnership between the Studer Community Institute and the TMW Center for Early Learning and Public Health at the University of Chicago. It tested if a video lesson called TMW Newborn could be an effective learning tool for mothers. From 2017-2019, The TMW Center partnered with six hospitals — 3 in the Chicago area and 3 in Escambia County . In all, more than 1,300 Escambia County moms were tested before and after watching the video.The Newborn video lesson aims to boost what a moms know about their child’s early brain development, and then increase their knowledge of the power that language has to build an infant’s brain. The peer-reviewed study showed that the video lesson can work. The SCI Early Childhood Learning project continues to share the video with moms at local hospitals and has offered the program at hospitals outside of our area. It has also introduced other programs to assist parents with building their child's brain. Dr. Suskind, MD, is Founder and Co-Director of the TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health, Director of the Pediatric Cochlear Implant Program, and Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics at the University of Chicago. Dr. Suskind is the author of over 45 scientific publications. She is a member of the American Academic of Pediatrics and a Fellow for the Council on Early Childhood. She is an advisor to Hillary Clinton’s Too Small to Fail initiative and her work has been profiled by numerous media outlets, including the New York Times, The Economist, Forbes, NPR, and Freakonomics.