The Free Press, Mankato, MN

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November 8, 2008

‘No’ man coming to Lake Crystal

Author to discuss ways to curb challenging child behaviors

By Tanner Kent

To parents: Help is on the way.

To educators and teachers: Reinforcement is coming soon.

To those desperately seeking to instill children with discipline and responsibility: Hold tight.

David Walsh is coming to town.

“He has a great message,” said Linda Isebrand, principal of Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial High School. “Parenting has changed so much. Kids want it all and they want it now. And with the current economic crisis, that’s been especially tough on families.”

As an elementary principal, Isebrand can vouch for the challenging behaviors she said have only recently infiltrated classrooms: students who are undisciplined; students who demand immediate gratification; students who simply cannot hear “No.”

And those kinds of behaviors are exactly what prompted Walsh, a psychologist by degree, to write the latest of his nine books and embark on a nationwide speaking tour. His next stop is Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial High School at 7 p.m. Monday.

During the event, which is free and open to the public, Walsh will review the message of his latest book: “No: Why Kids — of All Ages — Need to Hear It and Ways Parents Can Say it.”

For him, challenging child behaviors are often the result of hearing too many “yes” messages. From media to parents to society at large, Walsh writes that adults need to be firm in setting boundaries for children.

“Walsh is not about being powerful,” said Madelia Elementary Principal Mary Hanson, who has heard Walsh speak in the past. “He’s about being kind and respectful to children.”

Walsh lives in Minnesota and is the founder of the Minneapolis-based National Institute on Media and the Family. He has received numerous awards and is an adviser to the World Health Organization and the Ministry of Education of Japan.

Walsh’s speaking campaign — titled “Say Yes to No” — has been booked across the country through 2009 and has been officially endorsed by hundreds of parent and educational groups, including the PACER CENTER and the Minnesota Association of School Administrators.

“He’s a phenomenal speaker,” said Sue Harris, director of community education in St. James. “We’re thrilled to have him.”

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