The final speaker elements are arriving and I think you are going to be happy. On that note, rookie mistake on my part, I just figured out how to set up the All-Access bundle so my mistake is your gain. The All-Access Bundle will be available for purchase starting tomorrow and the $15.99 bundle price will now be in effect until 21 Aug. Price increases 22 Aug Now, let’s meet our first group of experts. Connection sounds simple until real life gets involved. Children resist. Teenagers pull away. Parents run out of energy. Caring adults wonder whether they are helping, hovering, pushing too hard, or missing something important. Our first group of Expert speakers is stepping directly into those moments. @Anna Murrietta joins meet chatting about Small Moments, Big Connections on Sunday, August 16, from 12:00–12:30 PM CDT. @Nat Carey will be sharing tips for what to do When Dad Has Nothing Left on Monday, August 17, from 5:00–6:00 PM CDT. @Chanie Twersky brings her unique perspective Parenting Teens Without Losing Yourself on Wednesday, August 19, from 3:00 - 4:00 PM CDT. @Janell Bitton will be leading the conversation as we explore what happens When Connection Time Meets Resistance on Thursday, August 20, from 8:00–9:00 AM CDT. And I’m excited to welcome @Max Orlewicz , he works primarily with moms and will speak about Parenting Teen Sons. These are not conversations built around perfect families or easy answers. They begin with family life as it actually happens and offer ideas caring adults can use without pretending the difficult parts do not exist. Which conversation feels closest to what your family needs right now?

Take a minute and swing with your kid. Those meetings can wait.

More reasons to meet us in the kitchen Yesterday, I introduced you to Andrew Brooks and Dale Cox. Today, our Culinary introductions continue with two women bringing very different experiences to the table. Krista Melanson is joining us for Cooking, Connection and Communication. Her session is pre-recorded, which means you can fit it around dinner, work, naps, or whatever else your family throws at you that day. Krista is the community owner of The Relationship Chef and The Cooking School and lives what she teaches when it comes to food and relationships. Varsha Mistry will lead Indian Cooking on Wednesday, August 19, from 9:30–10:30 AM CDT. This is an opportunity to explore food, culture, flavor, and family learning together. Varsha is joining us from the UK and I've had an opportunity to try her recipes at home and they are wonderful and easy to prepare. Varsha is also the community owner of The Indian Cooking Club. If you've ever wanted to try Indian cooking but were intimidated, this may solve that challenge for you. And this is exactly why I love the Culinary theme. Food gives us a place to begin, but the experience can lead almost anywhere: a new skill, a cultural discovery, a family story, or the realization that your child will eagerly try something they helped prepare. Which would create more excitement in your home: trying a new cuisine or giving the kids more ownership in the kitchen? Drop a comment and tell us why you think that would work best for you.

Imagine you're a toddler exploring a brand new world as you learn to walk or perhaps you're a pre-teen ready to embark on new adventures, or maybe, a teen walking between childhood and adulthood. Each brings a unique set of challenges and sometimes, as one of the adults in their lives, it's hard to communicate with them. That's why this week's story lab focuses on world building and idea sharing. You can use the concepts to open doors and have conversations you might now have dreamed of in the regular day to day. Each activity can be done in as few as 15 minutes but if the kids are enjoying it, you may find they fill up an hour or more. For the complete activity with variations by age go to #A Door to Somewhere. When you complete the activity, click the checkmark in the upper right corner to mark it as finished, you can always revisit but it may help you track your progress. Here's today's story lab. Every door leads somewhere. But what if an ordinary door in your home could suddenly open into a place that has never existed before? Gather Your Gear: - A door in your home - Paper - Pencil, crayons, or markers - Optional: household objects to use as props - My Story Planner (optional) Steps: 1. Choose your door. Pick any door in your home. Don't open it yet. 2. Imagine what's on the other side. Everyone takes a turn adding one detail. Maybe it opens onto a floating city, a jungle where the plants whisper, an underwater library, or someplace completely different. 3. Build the world together. Decide what you might see, hear, smell, or feel when you step through. What makes this place different from your everyday world? 4. Add something unexpected. What is happening when you arrive? Perhaps everyone is hiding. Something enormous just flew overhead. A tiny creature is waiting for you. There are footprints leading away from the door. 5. Open the door. Pretend you've crossed into your new world. Explore it together through conversation, movement, drawing, or acting. 6. Capture your world. Draw what you discovered, make a quick map, write or tell a few sentences about your visit, or simply keep playing.

Ever watched a kid turn a cardboard box into a spaceship? That kind of creative spark is what Unplug & Play is all about. From amigurumi with @Auli Takala and cooking together to storytelling with @Joanne Langston and imaginative play, our speakers are bringing hands-on creative ideas your whole family can try — no special skills needed. Free, virtual, August 16-22. Save the date and get ready to make something together.