Fall Programs ~ MIT Center for Work, Family & Personal Life

[Janet Fischer]

MIT CENTER FOR WORK, FAMILY & PERSONAL LIFE
77 Massachusetts Avenue, Room 16-151 Cambridge, MA 02139
Telephone:  617.253.1592  *  Fax:  617.253.2609
Email:  worklife at mit.edu  Web site:  http://web.mit.edu/hr/worklife

FALL 2004 PROGRAMS
The Center's programs are provided for the benefit of all members of 
the MIT community, including students, staff, faculty, partners, and 
families. The Center seminars are open to the general public as well. 
All programs are free of charge.

Advance registration is required. To register, visit the Center's web site at:
http://web.mit.edu/hr/worklife/seminar.html. Alternatively, you can 
send an email to worklife at mit.edu, giving your name, the name of the 
workshop(s) you would like to attend, your email address, and your 
telephone number.

Programs are held in Room 16-151 unless otherwise indicated.

Planning for Long-Term Care
Wednesday, September 22, 12:00 -1:30 p.m.

The head of a Boston law firm specializing in elder care issues will 
describe the major laws and legal documents that are important to 
consider in planning for long-term care for oneself or for a family 
member. Included will be discussion of health-care proxies, powers of 
attorney, trusts, long-term care insurance, and Medicaid coverage of 
nursing home care. Recent changes in Massachusetts law will be 
addressed.
Leader: Harry S. Margolis, Margolis & Associates, Boston

Autism: An Unfinished Puzzle 
Tuesday, September 28, 12:00-1:30 p.m.

Based on both professional expertise and personal experience, the 
presenter will discuss key issues in the history and current thinking 
about autism, including diagnosis, treatment, effects on the 
individual, and effects on the family. Emphasis will be on the 
challenges this diagnosis brings for families, and the importance of 
such strategies as planning, individualized treatment, and coping 
with isolation.
Leader: Anne Larkin, Ph.D., Professor, School of Education, Lesley 
College; founder of PALS (Personal Advocacy and Lifetime Support), 
Inc.

Humanizing Your Office Space to Enhance Productivity   
Tuesday, October 5, 12:00-1:30 p.m.

If one's home is one's castle, why does the office sometimes feel 
like a dungeon?  Environmental psychologists and social scientists 
know that how a space is set up directly affects how people function 
and interact.  Learn the principles and practical applications of 
arranging your work space so that it supports your work, your goals, 
and your sanity.  Drawing on modern science as well as traditional 
insights, a consultant in space management will offer practical 
solutions to work space dilemmas, illustrated with photo slides and 
real life examples.
Presenter: Linda Varone, RN, MA, private practice, Arlington


  What Makes Parenting Difficult in the US?
Tuesday, October12, 12:00-1:30 p.m.

Join others over lunch to reflect on your parenting. What are the 
barriers to being the parent you want to be? What are the choices you 
find yourself continuously having to make? What influences in our 
society make parenting hard? And what can we do about it?
Leader: Harriet Heath, Director, The Parent Center, Bryn Mawr 
College, Philadelphia

Same-Sex Marriage 
Tuesday, October 19, 12:00-1:30 p.m.

This seminar will address legal and financial considerations for 
same-sex partners who are married or considering marriage. Included 
will be an overview of the implications for legal documents, such as 
wills, powers of attorney, health care proxies, donor agreements, and 
other relationship agreements, as well as adoptions by same-sex 
couples.  There will be an opportunity for questions and discussion 
with the facilitator, who has over 20 years of experience 
representing same-sex couples in estate planning, adoption, and real 
estate matters. 
Leader:  Karen Kruskal, Esquire, Pressman & Kruskal, Cambridge

Negotiating Job Flexibility
Friday, October 29, 12:00-1:30 p.m.

This workshop will provide an introduction to flexible work schedule 
arrangements, including job sharing, telecommuting, flexible 
schedules, leaves, and part-time work. Participants will be offered a 
summary of MIT policies and resources and a format for developing a 
workable flex-time or flex-leave proposal.
Leaders: Kathy Simons, M.S., Co-Manager, MIT Center for Work, Family 
& Personal Life; Barbara Peacock-Coady, Manager, Career Planning @ MIT

Raising Bilingual Children 
Monday, November 1, 12:00-1:30 p.m.

This seminar will review the research on the effects of bilingual 
experiences on children's language development and discuss the social 
factors that can help children acquire and maintain fluency in more 
than one language.
Leader: Suzanne Flynn, Ph.D., Professor of Linguistics and Second 
Language Acquisition, Department of Linguistics and Philosophy, MIT

Housing Options for the Elderly 
Thursday, November 4, 12:00-1:30 p.m.

A specialist in elder care housings issues will discuss options for 
senior living, including how to find them, what they offer, what they 
cost, and for whom they are appropriate.  A range of options will be 
reviewed, from independent housing to nursing homes.
Leader: Karen Wasserman, Director of Geriatric Care Management, 
Jewish Family & Children's Services, Newton

Single Parenting 
Tuesday, November 9, 12:00-1:30 p.m.

This workshop will offer a framework for understanding the special 
challenges for parents who are raising children without a spouse or 
long-term partner.  Included will be a discussion of strategies for 
handling the challenges of single parenting, including communicating 
with family members and former partners, helping children cope with 
the stresses, and finding energy and attention for work and personal 
life.
Leader:  Judy Osborne, Founder and Director, Stepfamily Associates, Brookline

  Sibling Rivalry 
Friday, November 12, 12:00-1:30 p.m.

Did you hope your children would be best friends, but instead find 
they are at each other's throats?  You are not alone. This workshop 
will explore why siblings fight, and what children learn from the ups 
and downs of sibling relationships.  We will discuss when to let 
brothers and sisters "work it out" themselves, how to intervene when 
you do, and how to nurture positive  relationships for the long term.
Leader: Deborah Weinstock-Savoy, Ph.D., parenting education 
consultant, Lexington

Reaching Your Financial Goals
Tuesday, November 30, 12:30-1:30 p.m.

An independent financial planner will offer an overview of personal 
finances based on questions and concerns raised by participants. 
Topics may include setting financial goals, strategies for getting 
out of debt and saving, investment allocation, retirement planning, 
and more. Participants will come away with a better understanding of 
their financial goals and a variety of strategies and resources for 
reaching these goals.
Note that this seminar starts at 12:30 rather than 12:00 p.m..
Leader: Sharon Rich, Ed.D., Founder, WOMONEY, Belmont

Creating Family Rituals and Traditions
Monday, December 6, 12:00-1:30 p.m.

Family rituals and traditions are the backdrop for many of the 
childhood memories we carry into adulthood and a source of children's 
sense of  belonging.  Rituals can be as ordinary as a nightly bedtime 
story or as elaborate as an all-day holiday celebration. The winter 
months offer a special opportunity to focus on rituals in your 
family, as so many cultures celebrate holidays at this time. This 
workshop will discuss why children need family rituals and share 
ideas about creating new traditions and nurturing old ones. 
Leader: Eve Berne, M.A. child development and parenting consultant, 
Newton Highlands

Infant/Toddler Child Care
September 13, 27; October 14, 26; November 16, 29; December 14. 12:00-1:30 p.m.

Introductory discussions for expectant parents and those new to 
parenting or child care, covering types of care, costs, finding and 
evaluating care, and parental leave. Held twice monthly from 
12:00-1:30pm.

Short-term/Back-up Child Care
Thursday, November 18, 12:00-1:00 p.m.

Overview of options to help prepare for and handle temporary child 
care needs, including care for children who are mildly ill and care 
during times when regular providers or programs are not available. 

Summer Camp
Thursday, December 2, 12:00-1:00 p.m.

Overview of resources to help identify and select day camp and summer 
enrichment programs for children.

NEW DISCUSSION GROUP

Raising Teens
Organizational meeting Wednesday, September 29th, 12:00 to 1:00 p.m., 
Room 16-151, followed by meetings every Wednesday from 12:00 to 1:00 
p.m.  through November 3rd.

A peer-led, six-week group, with occasional outside speakers, for 
those who would like to exchange information, insights, and ideas 
about the special challenges of raising teenagers. Open to all 
members of the MIT community who are parenting teens and preteens. 
Pre-registration required. For further information or to 
pre-register, contact the Center for Work, Family & Personal Life, 
617 253 1592, mailto:worklife at mit.edu
-- 
jfischer at mit.edu    *~*   Ph:     617-253-0386   *~*   Fax:    617-252-1003
M.I.T. Office of the Provost
Room 11-268,  77 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA  02139
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