Practical Parenting Series 2026
This series was designed as a heartfelt effort to strengthen the threads that connect us to ourselves, our children, and each other. By bringing facilitators into our community who can provide parents with practical tools, new insights, practices and resources, we hope to empower parents raising children through the immense cultural and technological shifts of our times.
When: February 10th, March 10th & April 14th, 2026 from 6:00-7:30 PM
Location: MoonMountain Highway, 113 W Steuben Street Bingen, WA
Admission: Free (donations to our facilitators welcome and encouraged)
Please RSVP for each workshop individually here!
February 10th, 2026 - Neurodiversity in Practice: Understanding, Advocating, and Supporting Your Child with Rachel Montague, Ph. D. Dr. Rachel Montague is a licensed psychologist with extensive experience supporting children and families in clinical and school settings. She specializes in practical strategies and evidence-based approaches to help caregivers navigate behavioral, social, and emotional challenges, turning evaluations and insights into actionable supports at home and school.
Parenting a neurodiverse child can bring unique joys—and unexpected challenges. Understanding your child’s development, recognizing differences, and finding the right supports can make all the difference.
This talk offers a developmental psychologist’s framework for understanding unexpected patterns of development, why differences are sometimes missed or misinterpreted, and how diagnostic systems—though imperfect—support access to care. Parents will gain practical insight into "where to turn" when seeking support to understand their child, discuss the critical difference between won't vs. can't, and review the framework of thinking about neurodivergence as a mismatch between a child's skills and the environments around them. Evidence-based supports, co-occurring challenges, and pathways to appropriate services and resources will be discussed.
Come to connect with other caregivers, explore actionable strategies, and gain valuable insights to help your child thrive.
March 10th, 2026 - Learning Together: Tools & Supports for Neurodiverse Families with Alaina Ewing, LCSW and Founder of Enriching Journeys Therapy Center in Vancouver, Washington. Alaina’s practice is neurodivergent-affirming, trauma-informed, and anti-oppressive, providing families with practical tools, guidance, and support tailored to their unique needs.
Families with varying needs can pose more challenges than a neurotypical family. When consequence and reward are unhelpful or one member's needs conflict with another, where should families turn?
In this workshop, Alaina Ewing, LCSW, will provide practical strategies for supporting neurodiverse families, including coregulation techniques, communication approaches, behavior momentum, and collaborative ways to navigate daily routines. She will also highlight support networks for caregivers and siblings and offer tools that help families work together with understanding, connection, and confidence.
Arrive with questions or just listen in— either way you're sure to leave with some fresh insights and new approaches to support your family’s needs.
April 14th, 2026 - Finding Your Way: Supporting Children Who Challenge Us with Kim Lubin, LCSW and Certified School Counselor. Kim has extensive experience supporting children, teens, and families. She specializes in helping parents navigate behavioral, social, and emotional challenges, providing practical strategies to foster connection, resilience, and growth within the family.
Parenting doesn’t always go according to plan, and some children present us with unexpected challenges that we do not know how to manage. How do you know when it’s time to pivot, hold the line, or develop a whole new gameplan?
This workshop will offer practical insights and strategies for supporting our children who struggle with behavior, peer relationships, or who simply fit differently into family expectations. Participants will explore approaches for building connection, navigating difficult moments, and helping children—and their families—thrive despite the challenges they face.
Would you like to be a future facilitator?
Practical Parenting Series is a free workshop series featuring local experts and educators in parenting, child development, emotional regulation and beyond. We are always interested in connecting with potential facilitators who can provide practical tools, insights, practices and resources to empower and support parents raising children through the immense cultural and technological shifts of our times.
If you, or someone you know, has an inspiring and educational talk or workshop that you would like to share with our community as part of this series, we'd love to hear from you. Fill out the information below and a member of the Little Oak staff will be in touch shortly.