REDEFINING WHAT'S COOL FOR KIDS

Looking for a speaker with a challenging, relevant and relatable message tailored to meet the unique needs of your parent group or school audience? Marybeth Hicks encourages parents to define for themselves what’s cool for their kids and shares with parent groups and school audiences how to have greater success in the battle to protect childhood in today's world.

Marybeth delivers timely messages for every school and family that is concerned about the influence of the culture on our children. Geared to reflect the concerns of the ages and stages of each audience, Marybeth's messages include these compelling topics:

FOR PARENTS OF PRE-K THROUGH 3RD GRADE:

Geek Parenting 101: Establishing The Geek Lifestyle For Your Young Family

• Daring to be different in looks, manners and traditions
• How to build a geek media shelter
• Ages and stages for geeky parenting

FOR PARENTS OF 4TH THROUGH 8TH GRADE:

Tweenhood: How To Protect Your Child’s Innocence In A World That Exploits

• “Age compression” – why puberty and pseudo-adulthood are robbing your kids of their childhood
• The hypersexualization of children – mixed messages in a dangerous culture
• The power of “no”
• How to raise a “late bloomer” (aka “geek”)

The Line in The Sand: Middle School Challenges For Parents Avoiding The Culture Of Cool

• Expectations for middle schoolers – 12 is the new 16 (dating, social life and experimental behaviors)
• Reality and risks – why exposure to media and pop culture hurts young teens
• Mission Impossible? Rules, regs and reasons to protect your young teen’s childhood
• Measures of success – popularity versus genuine friendships and authentic character

FOR PARENTS OF HIGH SCHOOLERS AND YOUNG ADULTS:

“Who Is ‘Everyone’ And Why Should I Care What They’re Doing?”

• Conformity and the culture of cool –why conformity presents risks
• The impact of peer pressure on the cool crowd, jocks, partiers, Goths and GEEKS
• Sex, drugs, rock and roll – and how to make sure your geeky high schooler talks to you about them

Geeks In The Real World: From Sheltered Childhood To Responsible Young Adulthood

• Why shelter and maturity go together
• Innocence, not ignorance – telling the truth to geeky kids and encouraging genuine maturity
• Happily uncool ever after – the real results of raising GEEKS

WHAT AUDIENCES ARE SAYING
“Marybeth Hicks is a dynamic speaker with a mission.  We all laughed, cried, and laughed some more. But most of all, we were empowered in our role as parents to raise our children without looking for affirmation from today’s society.”
Emily Wurtenberger
Kansas City, KS