“Is That Me Yelling? A parents guide to getting your kids to cooperate without losing your cool” was published in 2013 and is available in 5 different languages. It’s a best seller in China, but here in the US you can only get it now on Kindle until the next edition.
If you would like to set up a presentation or training for your child’s preschool or your workplace, you can contact me at .
Is That Me Yelling? is:
“Engaging and practical, humorous and evidence-based, prescriptive but not preachy, authoritative yet never stuffy, Is That Me Yelling? quickly rises to the top of the many parenting books I’ve ever read. Rona Renner provides thoughtful and achievable solutions. If you’re a parent who has ever yelled at your kid and wished you hadn’t, this book is for you.”
—Stephen P. Hinshaw, PhD, professor in the department of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley; and vice-chair of psychology at the University of California, S.F.
“Is That Me Yelling? is a complete and compassionate companion for every parent and educator. With excellent examples from her extensive professional and personal experience, nurse Rona illustrates fundamental psychological principles and functional parenting practices with empathy and enthusiasm.”
—Marisol Muñoz-Kiehne, PhD, clinical psychologist, parent educator, radio host, and author.
Fathers, Kids, and Health
June is Men’s Health Month with the purpose to heighten the awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys. On June 8th I was joined in-studio at KPFA (94.1FM) by two wonderful men to discuss Fathers, Kids, and Health.
There are many ways fathers can be good role models for their children, especially when they spend time together. 
You can listen to the show at https://kpfa.org/player/?audio=184112
Our guests were:
Dr. Will Courtenay, an internationally recognized expert in men’s health and in helping men, boys, and fathers. The American Psychological Association calls him, “a leading psychologist in the field of masculinity.” He provides psychotherapy and counseling to individuals in the S.F. Bay Area, and phone consultation to those outside of the area. You can reach him at 415-346-6719 or check out his website at http://www.themensdoc.com. He is also the author of Dying To Be Men: http://www.amazon.com/Dying-Men-Environmental-Biobehavioral-Psychotherapy/dp/0415878764
Gary Thompson, the Fatherhood Coordinator for the Family Health Services Division of the Alameda County Public Health Department. He is also one of the co-founders of the Fathers Corps, a learning community of male service providers administered in collaboration with First Five, Alameda County. http://www.first5alameda.org/alameda-county-fathers-corps. He has more than twenty-five years of experience administering education and family-centered programs and advocating for the Bay Area’s most vulnerable children and families. You can reach Gary at 510-667-4343.
Secondhand Drinking
Lisa Fredericksen and Caroll Fowler, MFT were my guests on About Health, on KPFA—94.1 FM, on May 25th to discuss what happens to the people who live or work with a person who misuses alcohol. If you missed the show, here is the link: https://kpfa.org/player/
My guests:
Lisa Frederiksen is a national keynote speaker, consultant, and founder of BreakingTheCycles.com. She is the Author of nine books, including “If You Loved Me, You’d Stop!” and “Quick Guide to Addiction Recovery: What Helps, What Doesn’t,” and the Quick Guide to SecondHand Drinking: A Phenomenon that affects millions. You can contact Lisa at:
http://www.breakingthecycles.com.
Caroll Fowler is a therapist who has been working in the field of addictions for 28 years. She has worked at a number of treatment programs and most recently was the Director of the Family Program at Sequoia Center in Redwood City. Additionally, in 2011, she was the Co-Founder of a nonprofit, drug and alcohol program in Kenya. She has a private practice in Castro Valley and facilitates a group for family members in Redwood City. You can reach her at 510-582-5225
Learn more about the health consequences of secondhand drinking at:
http://www.breakingthecycles.com/blog/secondhand-drinking-impacts-of-a-persons-drinking-behaviors/
My gratitude to the wonderful callers who shared their stories, comments, and questions.
“Secondhand drinking is a term to describe the impacts another person experiences as a result of trying to cope with a person’s drinking behaviors. These are the behaviors a person engages in as a result of drinking alcohol in quantities that exceed what the body and brain can handle. These behaviors include the insane, circular arguments; verbal/physical or emotional abuse; physical assault; unwanted sex; the behaviors that occur in a blackout; the accident caused when driving while impaired.”—Lisa Fredericksen
The Ripple Effect
“When we do our best to treat our children, others, and ourselves with kindness and respect—even with our imperfections–there is a ripple effect. A shift takes place in ourselves, in our children, in the people we interact with every day. When we heal our wounds with courage and honesty, we can use our energy for our benefit and the benefit of others. One person—like you or me—can have a significant impact on the violence, greed, suffering, and lack of compassion around us all. If more parents model respectful communication and empathy, then the next generation will have a better chance to create a more peaceful world.
Consider these questions every day:
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What will I discover today that brings meaning to my life?
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What will I learn from my children, and what will they learn from me?
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How can I offer love, comfort, or peace to someone?”
—Rona Renner, “Is That Me Yelling?” (page 200)
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and the impact on adult health and well being
On April 27th I hosted the radio show “About Health” on KPFA, 94.1 FM You can listen to the show online at https://kpfa.org/player/?audio=111818
My gratitude to our guests and to the listeners and callers.
Learn about the research and clinical application of the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study.
“This study is one of the largest investigations ever conducted to assess associations between childhood maltreatment and later-life health and well-being. The study is a collaboration between the Centers For Disease Control (CDC) and Kaiser Permanente’s Health Appraisal Clinic in San Diego.” —Center for Youth Wellness
My guests were
Janine Greer, MA., Health Educator at the Center For Youth Wellness in San Francisco and Dr. Zea Malawa, Pediatrician at the Bayview Child Health Center in San Francisco.
Resources
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To read about the ACE Study go to http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/acestudy/
“More than 17,000 Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) members undergoing a comprehensive physical examination chose to provide detailed information about their childhood experience of abuse, neglect, and family dysfunction. To date, more than 50 scientific articles have been published and more than100 conference and workshop presentations have been made.” —Center for Disease Control
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To get up-to-date information about ACEs throughout the country go to ACEs Connection at http://www.acesconnection.com/.
“This community of practice uses trauma-informed, resilience-building practices to prevent Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), and to change systems to stop traumatizing already traumatized people.”
- Or to get your ACE Score go to http://acestoohigh.com/got-your-ace-score/
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To watch a passionate talk by Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, founder and CEO of the Center for Youth Wellness go to the TEDMED talk NADINE BURKE HARRIS TEDMED or copy and paste: http://www.ted.com/talks/nadine_burke_harris_how_childhood_trauma_affects_health_across_a_lifetime?share=177f62a390
The Center for Youth Wellness has set a goal of one million views to demonstrate the momentum behind the movement.
My gratitude to Vince Felitti, MD for his passionate and hard work. It’s about time that more people are benefiting from his groundbreaking research.
Dr. Felitti was working with people who were overweight, and he discovered that 55% of the people he surveyed reported to have suffered child sexual abuse. Take a listen to his story of how this research started:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=20&v=Me07G3Erbw8
How to Reduce Stress and Find Your Sweet Spot
On Monday, April 13th, I hosted the radio show “About Health” on KPFA 94.1FM.
If you missed the show you can listen to it at https://kpfa.org/player/?audio=110979
My guest was Christine Carter, PH.D, author of “The Sweet Spot: How To Find Your Groove At Home and Work”
Christine is a sociologist and senior fellow at the UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, and the author of the book Raising Happiness. We’ll discuss the latest neurological and psychological research on positivity, productivity, performance, and the concept that by doing less we can actually accomplish more. Her current work is related to living a healthier and happier life at home and at work.
