UT Dallas’ Center for Children and Families will kick off its annual spring lecture series this month, with topics centered on relationship development. The talks will emphasize the importance of healthy, interpersonal relationships for optimal child development.
The series will consist of four lectures over four months. All are free and open to the public. Continuing education credits are available for the talks, which are scheduled to take place from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. in the UT Dallas School of Management, SOM 2.106. A brief reception will follow each lecture.
The lecture schedule is as follows:
- Feb. 25 — “Sensitive Parenting: A Growth-Promoting Relationship with Your Child,” by Dr. Margaret Owen.
- March 25 — “When Couples Become Parents: Keeping your Marriage Strong for Your Child,” Dr. Karen Prager.
- April 29 — “Play Dates and Peer Groups: Forming Friendships across Childhood,” Dr. Lisa Rosen.
- May 20 — “Helping Adolescents Use Electronic Communication for Good,” Dr. Marion Underwood.
The Center for Children and Families, part of the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, promotes optimal child development through an array of clinical and community outreach activities, organized around three initiatives: parenting healthy families, strengthening interpersonal relationships and enhancing thinking and learning.
The center is a valuable resource for local children and their families. Among its community outreach efforts are:
- The Infant Development Program.
- The Resource and Referral Program.
- The Children and Families Annual Forum.
- News You Can Use: Translating the latest research on children and families.
“We are excited to have this opportunity in the center’s third annual lecture series to share the latest research on many ingredients of healthy relationships that impact children’s lives,” said Owen, director of the center.