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Progressive Parenting and Barbara Olinger

Barbara Olinger, MSW, is Director of Family Development at the YWCA Santa Monica/Westside and co-founder of the YWCA Family Cooperative Preschool. For more than three decades she has delivered educational services and therapeutic support to thousands of children and their families. Recognized for her commitment to promoting children’s developmental needs and healthy family relationships, Barbara is a featured parenting consultant on the national website KidsInTheHouse.com and she is the producer of a parenting DVD “Welcoming Your Second Child”. In her private practice, Barbara focuses on providing practical tools to parents and teachers, supporting the growth of strong families, and developing innovative approaches to educating children. Ms. Olinger received her master of social work degree from Smith College School for Social Work and started her career as a clinical therapist at the North Central Connecticut Mental Health Systems, Inc. She has also worked with the Santa Monica/Malibu Unified School District Infant and Family Support Program. She has two sons, Alex and Nathan, and lives in California where she loves to hike, read, and support her sons in their active, creative endeavors.

The roots of healthy child development are nurtured when children’s needs are met and they are allowed to experience life for themselves with proper guidance, instead of control. This is the foundation of the non-judgmental, emotionally-connected style of parenting presented in “Growing From The Roots: A Practical Guide To The Art Of Parenting”.

In her DVDs and her book, Barbara Olinger M.S.W demonstrates a fresh approach in which parents learn to focus on their children’s motivations rather than the way they act. She explains how tantrums and conflicts can be good; how being overly critical is detrimental to a child’s development; and how children do not need to feel bad to change their behavior. Barbara gives tools to help create positive interactions between parents and children.

Moms and Dads learn new ways to set loving limits, develop age-appropriate expectations and foster an environment in which children know that they are loved unconditionally. These connections build self-awareness and confidence, inspiring children’s desire to cooperate, to strengthen family relationships, and to help them grow into compassionate adults.