TALKS BY IZABELLA LITTLE GATES & SALLY THORP

In the talks and workshops, Izabella and Sally give feedback on the issues being faced by adolescents and by parents, and they look at some of the helpful areas to focus on.

The feedback provided is based on the thousands of emails received from readers and through the Life Talk Forum, and from the work with schools, psychologists, other experts and related organisations.

Izabella, Sally and Suzie address audiences of parents, teens, or a mix of both.

Talks and workshops for parents:

Topics covered include:

Talks are tailored for parents of children of all ages. The earlier some of the forthcoming challenges of adolescence can be identified, the more proactive parents can be, so talks are also available for pre-school parents and teachers.

Talks for teens:

Topics include:

For further information or if your school or organisation would like to book a talk:

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(Information is provided in good faith and Life Talk's representatives take no responsibility for any consequent actions arising therefrom.)

Testimonials

1.    ‘I attended the talk you gave yesterday. As was everybody, I was most impressed by the work which you are doing and the passion which you have for the 'calling'. Thank you for the very valuable information which you shared.’ L.M. Deputy-Head

2.    ‘It was such a pleasure to host you and I am still glowing from all the good things that parents and heads have said to me about the impact you made.  As I said to you, giving a good talk is one thing but being recognised as a speaker with integrity is quite another.’ Andrew Cook, Principal, Mitchell House

3.     ‘Any parent with children of school-going age would do well to spend an hour or so in the company of Izabella Little-Gates. She shared with expertise, passion and sensitivity of heart on the subject of the dangers faced by 21^st Century adolescents. Her presentation held nothing back from parents who sat spellbound as she unwrapped the many layers of risks, threats and real life dramas that all too often, if ignored, serve to take young people hostage while leaving parents feeling frustrated, heartbroken, and helpless. A sobering reality check!’ Richard Stanley, principal, Highbury

4.    ‘We really appreciate your participation and contribution in our Free State activities. The presentations were so wonderful and were heartily received by the learners and teachers. We look forward to more engagements in the future. Adrian, thank you so much for blessing our activities with Life Talk's participation.’ K.M. NLA

5.    ‘I think what you are doing is absolutely fantastic.  Each book is like a Bible for Life. Very well laid out, easy to read, and you can read them straight through, or alternatively go straight to the section that is affecting you.  I don't know of any other books that cover such a wide range of subjects in such a straightforward way.’ R.B. UK

6.     ‘I recently attended a very interesting Life Talk meeting. I have two boys at the school and found the meeting to be very informative. I did not know such a company existed. Most parents are clueless as to what’s going on at clubs etc. Keep up that great work’! C.B.

7.    ‘Found the talk very interesting ... bought a copy of "Life Talk for a Son", gave it to the 14 yr old, he got into it right away and found it quote unquote a great book! ... I read snatches of it and would recommend it to every adult who is trying to understand adolescents .. the thing we very often forget as adults is that our teens struggle with understanding the transformation they are going through’

8.     ‘Loved the interview last night on Carte Blanche.  Great job.  You are clearly a professional on TV.’

9.    ‘I saw it, with both my teenagers who were both equally shocked. Created great discussions, thanks. Sally was great.’

10.  ‘Sally visited our school and gave her talk to the Grade 5 learners and then to the Grade 6 and 7 learners.  Her manner was warm and friendly and the children responded well to the content.  The presentations were well paced, well prepared and pitched at exactly the right level.’  M.H., Deputy Principal, De La Salle Holy Cross College Primary School

11.  ’Thank you for keeping us parents so well informed.  This is very valuable and really assists us with the immensely difficult task of being a parent.  i would love to continue receiving your news’ R.B.

12.   ‘I want to tell you how much grateful I am for being part of this association. The workshop that took place this last Saturday gave me a lot of information. It was really uplifting. I have grown-up kids and it is really important to hear about such things that our children are going through.’ C.M-m

13.  ‘You hear noises about these issues but having never directly met a person like you or had the personal experience of the various types of problems, I’m complacent. I guess it’s not good enough. Well done on taking action. Our future depends on people like you in all spheres in our country.’  S.

14.  ‘Thank you so much for this valuable advice. It's a privilege to be able to ask such important and sensitive questions & to be able to receive quick sound advice.  I am going to purchase your book for future reference. Thanks again for your guidance.’ A.

15.  ‘Thanks again to you and your team for all that you are constantly doing to keep our children safer and our parents more informed.’ T.?

16.   ‘Spoke to the Principal and got fantastic feedback from educators and learners, so i would
like to congratulate you both for a job well done!’ P.

17.  ’I think your newsletter is a great initiative. I believe it definitely addresses a need. Well done.’ C.K.

18.  ‘Thank you so much.  I REALLY appreciate receiving this info and want to commend you for doing a wonderful job!!’

19.  ‘A friend of mine went to a talk given by you at her daughter's school. She was completely blown away by what you shared with the parents and the amazing coping tools and advice you gave them.’ C.E.

20.  ‘Thank you for what you do at Life Talk. You guys don’t know how wonderful you are!’ L.S.

21.  ‘Your talks are helping so many parents, they should be made compulsory in all schools!’ B.R.

22. FEEDBACK FROM DAINFERN COLLEGE:

On Tuesday 20 September 2011 we hosted Izabella Little-Gates from Life Talk and she addressed a packed auditorium of High School parents and students on the most pressing issues facing teens today. The theme of her talk was the “Tug-of-War” that is reflected in the picture above where teens are daily feeling pulled in two or more directions on critical issues.

Izabella’s talk was aimed to give both parents and teens practical advice on how best to help our teens resist the rampant peer pressure and make the right decisions in life. She focused on the fact that teenagers need to make the correct decisions not for their parents or for their teachers, but for themselves and their own preferred future. She encouraged the teenagers to decide for themselves what they want to be in the future and then ask of themselves at every decision moment: “Is this going to lead me toward my preferred future; what I see myself as becoming? Is this what I want to be associated with or known as?”

The parents who attended the talk found it most informative and walked away with practical tips on how to help their teens. Izabella encouraged parents to find times to have meaningful and discerning conversations with their teens to try and understand the pressures and decisions facing them and their peers. Too often parents bludgeon these delicate opportunities by either become too judgemental and dictatorial instead of just seeking to listen and understand, or by hiding their heads in the sand and pretending these issues don’t exist, and certainly not in their child’s world.

(Excerpt by Cheryl Coetzee, head of Pastoral Care and Outreach, Dainfern College)