About Jody McVittie, MD
Jody's talks are fun! She has a way of helping you see the best in yourself and helping you remember that you can be an effective parent or teacher. You leave feeling like you knew this before - but now it makes sense in a way that you can use it to create the kind of home or classroom that you want.
My story:
Being a trainer, coach or parent educator weren't on the short list of things I wanted to do with my life when I was growing up. Instead I went to medical school and residency and worked as a family doctor. What I found I enjoyed most was listening to people's stories and learning from them how they strived to connect with their families and to love their children as well as they could. When I had my own children I quickly realized that the tools and skills I got from my own family weren't creating the kind of family I had dreamed of. On the advice of a school counselor our family went to parenting classes (Sanity Circus in Seattle). I learned to see my family and myself differently. Parenting became something I did with my family instead of "to" my family and we all had a lot more fun.
As I brought the skills I was learning into my medical practice, I found that other families too could use them with success. And something interesting happened. When families learned to connect and work together, they got sick less. They had less dis-ease in their families.
Gradually I felt pulled to work with families and schools to bring these skills to the community more. It isn't so far from my first dream - to create a healthy and more peaceful world.
I spend my time working with teachers, parents, principals and health professionals teaching tools and perspectives to bring more respect and joy into our world. My children are now young adults - but they are still among my best teachers - and my favorite ones too!
My dream is to plant seeds to grow healthy communities by teaching parents, teachers and students how to work together in relationships founded on deep mutual respect. I know that this is work that no one person can do alone - that each of has a part - and I invite you to join me.
Jody is the co-author of the Positive Discipline Workbook and BRIDGES: Building Relationships for Improved Discipline, academic Gains and Effective Schools.
Jody has presented workshops and keynotes in the United States, Canada, Germany and Nicaragua. Some of her favorite topics include:
For Parents and Child Care Providers
Parenting from the Heart
Empowering your Teen and Yourself in the Process
Play, Relationships, and the Developing Brain
Parenting with Positive Discipline
Kindness and Firmness in the Child Care Setting
For Parent Educators
Teaching Parenting the Positive Discipline Way
Planting Seeds for Parents to Succeed
Enseñando Disciplina
Building a Parenting Class: Scaffolding for Learning
For Teachers
Positive Discipline in the Classroom
Disciplina Positiva en el Aula
For Physicians
Parent Education in the Primary Care Setting