Showing posts with label Jeanette Herbert. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jeanette Herbert. Show all posts

Friday, August 14, 2015

#Utah Events - #UpliftFamilies Parenting Conference + $5.00 Discount Code

It's been two weeks since I attended the amazing luncheon at the Utah Governor's Mansion hosted by Jeanette Herbert, the wife of esteemed Utah Governor, Gary Herbert. I felt very honored because I was one of about 40 Utah bloggers selected to attend and hear about the upcoming 'Uplift Families' Parenting Conference.

My choice of apparel for the event was this hi-lo dip dye dress by Karen Kane.

It was so amazing to walk into and tour the premises of this historic building. Although there are guided tours given of this historic mansion built in the 1800's, it seemed a little bit more intimate and private because we were all bloggers and were all there for a common purpose, to support Mrs. Herbert with her initiative, Uplift Families.


Mrs. Herbert has chosen to do everything she can to provide tools to help strengthen or uplift Utah families during her tenure as Utah's First Lady. I think it is a wonderful initiative and I wholeheartedly agree with her--the family is the cornerstone that makes our country great. When the country's families are strong, so is the country.

After the meet and greet, where I was able to speak with Mrs. Herbert and get a picture with her, we had an amazing luncheon, with the most delicious salads and breadsticks, and eclairs that were light, delectable and very popular!


We heard from the organizers of the event--Mrs. Herbert's Executive Director, Steve James, Nicole Carpenter--a Utah blogger, Brooke Walker from Studio5, and Mrs. Herbert.
All of the talks were very inspirational! I was most interested in Mrs. Herbert's address because it is through her that this event is taking place!

The Address
Mrs. Herbert explained some of the reasons why she had chosen to focus on families for her initiative. She talked about how when she was a young mom, she realized that her children didn't come with instructions and that she wasn't as prepared as she thought, even though she came from a great family. Acknowledging that, she looked for wisdom she didn't yet have--through books, other parents, and even classes. She found that when she tried the suggestions that they did indeed help her with raising her kids.

She explained that in life when we buy something new from the store, it usually comes with instructions. But children don't. They are all different, yet some things about them are very similar. She illustrated her point with this quote, "Buying a piano no more makes you a pianist than having a child makes you a great parent."

She talked about how the state of Utah is relatively low in some crime statistics, and that it may give some of us a false sense of security. In actuality it is very sad what happens to many children, the same ones who gave us such high hopes. Too many children are lost as teenagers to drugs, alcohol and suicide.  

I loved that she didn't approach the problem with any sense of judgement or condescension, having been there herself. She believes that parenting is so complex and no one can be a perfect parent. "But", she asks, "what can we do to increase the odds of that child being the best they can be?"
  
Her goal is to give tools to parents so they can nurture their children and increase their odds of being a successful adult. She feels that it is critical that parents understand how their actions and reactions to their children is so imperative because it molds them into the adults they will become. Parents should have every opportunity while children are young to nurture them so that when they become teens and adults, they will have the tools to be successful.

She reiterated that it starts with the family and is really all about the family when it comes to a child's feeling of safety and support. The strength that they feel in the home will sustain them when they get out on their own in the world because they have a safe loving environment to come home to.  After that most important cornerstone, you can then add different methodology, behavior modification, proven techniques and other valuable tools. And there are so many!

The upcoming Uplift Families Conference on Saturday, September 19th will be a great opportunity to catch the vision of Mrs. Herbert's initiative, be guided to some great resources, hear some great speakers and have a wonderful dinner. Tickets will be quickly sold out, so if you have the chance to register, do so quickly! Use the code NEEDS2015 to get an additional $5.00 off, which would make it a great deal, only $20.00 per couple or $10.00 for an individual. Plus, you will be entered into a drawing for a Midway Spa Getaway! So fun! You can read about the evening agenda and register here!