A discussion group is a great way to build community within your SCPN chapter.
When parents come together, they have a chance to share their insights and learn from other people’s experiences.
Our recommendation: start with a resource called Parents of Everyschool.
This document contains everything you need to start a discussion group and sustain it throughout a whole year, including discussion topics, questions, and resources.
Book club
A book club is a bit more involved, as people have to find the time outside of the meetings to read. For this reason, they tend to reach fewer people – but they also have the potential to have a greater impact, since people are delving more deeply into material.
Aim for no more than 1-2 books per year. Many publishers offer discussion questions to go along with the books, so you may not need to reinvent the wheel.
Our recommendations:
“THE INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A Wall Street Journal Top 10 Book of 2024 • A New York Times and Washington Post Notable Book
“A must-read for all parents: the generation-defining investigation into the collapse of youth mental health in the era of smartphones, social media, and big tech—and a plan
“Minimalism is the art of knowing how much is just enough. Digital minimalism applies this idea to our personal technology. It’s the key to living a focused life in an increasingly noisy world.
“In this timely and enlightening book, the bestselling author of Deep Work introduces a philosophy for technology use that has already improved countless lives.”
“New York columnist-turned-movement leader Lenore Skenazy delivers a compelling and entertaining look at how we got so worried about everything our kids do, see, eat, read, wear, watch and lick — and how to bid a whole lot of that anxiety goodbye. With real-world examples, advice, and a gimlet-eyed look at the way our culture forces fear down our throats, Skenazy describes how parents and educators can step back so kids step up. Positive change is faster, easier and a lot more fun than you’d believe. This is the book that has helped millions of American parents feel brave and optimistic again – and the same goes for their kids.”
In Better Than Real Life, child and adolescent psychologist Richard Freed reveals how Silicon Valley’s secret science of persuasive design is pulling a generation of kids away from the real world to live on social media, video games, and online video. The psychological science is so powerful that it is able to persuade youth, at a genetic level, that sitting sedentary on playtime screens is better than running and playing, better than engaging with school, better than spending time with family. He shows how social media exploit girls’ DNA-driven instincts with tragic consequences for their mental health, while video games take advantage of boys’ Stone Age impulses, increasing the risks of academic struggles and gaming addiction.
St. Carlo Parent Network 