photo credit: Bindaas Madhavi
I have been very inspired by TED Talks lately. You can also check out my previous article on 10 TED Talks for Renewal. TED Talks are presentations from passionate, brilliant and innovative individuals in a variety of fields. You can read more about this non-profit organization and their mission to spread ideas by exhibiting powerful, engaging presentations. Each presentation is 18 minutes or less, and well worth the investment. Here is a compilation of my top 10 favorite TED Talks for parents. Some are funny, some are informative, and all are inspiring.
10. Nancy Frates: Meet the mom who started the bucket challenge
Meet the inspirational mom who started the ice bucket challenge to raise awareness for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) — and how this mission impacted her and her family.
9. Jennifer Senior: For parents, happiness is a very high bar
Jennifer Senior discusses the significant changes in our roles as parents and the ways in which our expectations of happiness in our children is a difficult aspiration.
8. Colin Stokes: How movies teach manhood
Colin Stokes, shares his thoughts on how cinema provides role models for both boys and girls and the ways in which we should consider male and female roles in movies and their effect on our children.
7. Rufus Griscom and Alisa Volkman: Let’s talk parenting taboos
Husband-and-wife team, and publishers of Babble.com, offer a forthright and humorous look at parenting taboos as well as parenting expectations.
6. Sarah Kay: If I should have a daughter
Poet, Sarah Kay, through her unique style, shares what lessons she would share with her future daughter.
5. Julia Sweeney: It’s time for “The Talk”
A hilarious talk about the “birds and the bees” inspired by Julia Sweeney’s 8-year-old daughter. You won’t want to miss this one.
4. Kevin Breel: Confessions of a depressed comic
Comic, Kevin Breel, offers a serious glimpse into his life when he first realized he had depression as a high school student.
3. Adora Svitak: What adults learn from kids
Author and child prodigy, Adora Svitak encourages adults to be empowered by children – and to ask children some powerful questions. An advocate for “reciprocal learning”, she encourages us all to consider what children can teach adults.
2. Steven Addis: A father-daughter bond, one photo at a time
Photographer and writer, Steven Addis, shares his experience taking the same photo with his daughter throughout her childhood and the power of creating memories.
1. Bruce Feiler: The council of dads
In this moving talk, Bruce Feiler, an accomplished writer shares his vision of enlisting “A council of dads” after his diagnosis of cancer to impart their wisdom to his daughters as they grow up.
There are many ways to get TED Talks. Click here if you would like to browse the TED archives for other topics. It is also easy to follow TED Talks via apps and social media. My favorite way to view TED Talks is via the free app for iPhone, where I can bookmark or download my favorites. The app is interactive, so I can even specify how much time I can commit at the moment and request a certain topic to watch.
TED Talks videos, logos and visuals highlighted here are untouched and unedited. All video and images of TED Talks are copyrighted by TED and are used here under the Creative Commons license.
Did any of these TED Talks resonate with you as a parent? Which one is your favorite?
