Proactive parenting

A child anxiety expert will hold a community seminar in Warragul on Sunday morning.
Hosted by Mindfull Aus and facilitated by child development expert Karen Young, "Proactive Parenting" aims to provide parents, caregivers and educators with skills and tools to better understand anxiety, behaviour and challenges facing youth.
Mindfull Aus chief executive officer Matt Runnalls said about 200 of the 350 available tickets had been sold for the event at the West Gippsland Arts Centre on Sunday at 10am.
With the assistance of Baw Baw Shire Council and Drouin and District Community Bank grants, Mr Runnalls said the accessible and affordable seminar was the result of massive community need.
"We felt it necessary to bring the world's best to the West Gippsland Arts Centre," he said. "It's not very often we have speakers like Karen Young in the community, if ever."
Mr Runnalls said he was regularly contacted by concerned parents and believed this seminar would explore powerful ways they could, quite literally, influence the strengthening of young brains to build self-control, emotional regulation and resilience for life.
He said many parents were burnt out and facing time pressures, busy schedules, financial challenges and balancing needs of other children. Rising technology use was another big factor.
However, Mr Runnalls was pleased to be able to support parents to know how to respond when young people were overwhelmed.
"We'd love to see many parents there being proactive," he said, adding educators could also benefit.
Having undergone training with Ms Young in the past, Mr Runnalls said she had recently joined Mindfull Aus as a teen and parents facilitator.
The four-hour session, including an intermission, also will feature a question and answer session. The panel will include Ms Young, Mindfull Aus advisory psychologist Tegan McKay and Mindfull Aus curriculum advisor Skye Hughes.
Tickets are $15 per person or $10 for arts centre members.
For bookings or further information, visit wgac.com.au or mindfullaus.org