The Black Lives Matter movement gave parents everywhere an opportunity to look inward and work harder. Many of us started to realize that it wasn’t enough to feel anti-racist ourselves or to assume that our children would be inclusive and aware. I realized that even though my son wasn’t even 2 yet, the onus would be on me to ensure that I raised an actively anti-racist child. And I didn’t know where to start. Luckily, I discovered Weldon.

A few weeks ago, I engaged in a Weldon workshop series, Raising Socially Conscious Kids: Race & Inequality. I realized I didn’t have to do this alone. During the workshop, we tapped the advice of parenting experts and walked away with tools and resources to ensure more diverse experiences for our children. We also learned how to discuss topics of race with our children and the steps that can be brought into different developmental stages.

Despite my typical zoom fatigue, I loved the workshop. So this past week, I sat down with Lynn Burrell, the co-founder of Weldon. Lynn was a school psychologist in Los Angeles before she started Weldon. She shared how what was once a series of in-person sessions in LA has transformed into a wider-reaching virtual initiative that can support parents anywhere.

We recapped the workshop to give parents who couldn’t attend a few insights. Then, we discussed the “new normal” that we’re living through this year. Homeschooling is something that many parents couldn’t have prepared for. So Weldon offers 1:1 coaching to help parents succeed as teachers during this time. Lynn also insisted that at Weldon, they really want to help parents ensure that learning is fun. She noted that once kids feel the struggle of learning something, they don’t want to go back to it. Weldon provides innumerable tools for parents to avoid that pitfall.

Here’s everything we discussed.

About Weldon

I love what you’ve built with Weldon. It’s like you’ve created a safe space for parents to learn and grow together. What is the Weldon concept?

Thank you, that is so nice to hear. One of our biggest goals is to make parents feel heard and safe and ultimately work together to support parents and build confidence in their parenting skills. 

In the  parenting world there is this tired belief that  you need to “grin and bear,” that frustration and loneliness is some sort of parenting rights of passage.  Weldon is trying to help parents feel more supported not only by connecting them with other parents but  by working with our Weldon Pros who use evidence based strategies and practical tips to help make parenting easier. We want to help parents whether it’s because they feel challenged or because they want to acquire knowledge or self growth.  This can include seeking support on how you handled a particular situation, improve your behavior management skills, or to learn more about your own parenting style or child development as a whole, the bottom line you don’t need to have a pathology; you just need to be a parent with a question.

On how it all started

When did you start Weldon? Who is involved?

So my brother Mark, (also the co-founder of Weldon), we joke that the idea was developed as a necessity when he had children and I, being a school psychologist, began providing advice on parenting strategies. Then these tips were shared within their circle of friends. When talking with Mark he began to realize some of the frustrations that I had shared for a long time, that parents don’t get a manual when they have a child and can internalize, or become defeated when they are faced with a challenge. Our conversations then lead into this dream to develop a company to help coach parents raise great children. We began this adventure about a year ago. 

As for who is involved, Weldon is a curated community of child development professionals ( school psychologists, school counselors, behaviorists, social workers, marriage and family therapists, clinical and educational psychologists, etc.) who provide personalized guidance, empathy and support for all parents. Our service includes 1-1- calls or  texts, we  develop individualized action plans to help with parenting needs. Weldon also provides group video discussions and workshops, we work directly with parents and also partner with schools and corporations. 

On parents & their feelings

Why do you think it’s important for parents to take time to tap into their own feelings when trying to be better parents?

I am not sure who coined the phrase “an escalated adult cannot de-escalate an escalated child” but to me that says it all. As parents if we are not in tune into how we feel or behave we will have a difficult time helping our child better understand and process their own emotions. How we interpret and react to our feelings influences our behaviors, thinking, decision making and coping strategies. Remember, so much of how children learn is through modeling, we are their first teachers. 

On the Race & Inequality Workshop

I loved the Race & Inequality workshop I attended via zoom. I learned so much about navigating difficult topics at hope and how to prioritize the right perspective for my growing son to be a better, more aware ally. What were the main goals of the workshop?

First and foremost, we wanted to make sure that conversations continue to take place about a very important subject matter. Second, we knew we could help parents engage with one another in a kind, respectful and empathetic manner. Our providers are used to working with difficult conversations, and they too had strong beliefs that this was an important topic in which we could provide support for families and hopefully have some influence on making a change for the better. 

Talking to children at an early age about race and injustice is so important. But many parents are not sure where to start. We wanted parents to walk away from our workshop feeling that they had a safe space. We wanted them to feel heard and gain tips and strategies on how to begin these conversations at home with their children.

Top 3 tips on raising socially conscious kids that you’d recommend to anyone that didn’t have the time to attend your last workshop?

• One, start talking about race to your child no matter [how old they are]. Starting the conversation is the first step in making changes.
• Two, don’t think that it is a one and done conversation. Engage in these discussions continually, use age appropriate language, and incorporate this theme in your play or in the children’s books you buy.
• Three, we will be running the workshop or similar workshops again, come join Weldon and let us help you get started.

On what’s next for Weldon

What other workshops should I mark on my calendar?

Weldon offers lots of different workshops and socials on all different topics. Such as how to navigate your thoughts to gain more positivity, how to help increase your child’s attention span, how to help manage your child’s emotions or tantrums, screen time in our current digital age, the importance of self-care, the list goes on.

As mentioned we have different services to meet parents needs, whether that be in a quick webinar, a workshop, or more individualized support through our coaching bundles.

What’s next for Weldon?

Well currently with summer coming to an end and school starting soon, we know this school start will be particularly unique. Besides providing information on our typical parenting challenges, we want to focus our attention and support parents and their children to help them navigate through our new normal.

We are working on webinars to help parents handle distance learning, social connectedness, identifying at-risk behaviors, and promoting self-care.