Dr. Ned Hallowell Lecture at Lake Forest Country Day School an Overwhelming Success

Dr. Ned Hallowell spoke to a group of more than 175 parents, educators, and community members on Wednesday morning in the Lake Forest Country Day School (LFCDS) Atrium. Dr. Hallowell said the two biggest predictors of a child’s success as an adult are whether a child feels connected at home, and whether the child feels connected at school.

In the second installment of LFCDS’s Special Speaker Series, Dr. Hallowell, a Harvard-educated child psychologist and New York Times bestselling author, noted that success has little to do with ACT scores or the college a child attends, but instead hinges on the attitudes developed as a child and honed in adulthood. “Optimism, a growth mindset, and the ability to bounce back are absolutely attitudes you can teach your child,” said Dr. Hallowell. “I have a five-step plan called the “Cycle of Excellence,” which if started in childhood will likely continue into adulthood.”

Dr. Hallowell’s steps are: Connect, Play, Practice, Mastery, and Recognition. He said that by far the most important of these steps is connection. “The greatest gift you can give a child is to let him know he’s connected to something,” said Dr. Hallowell, “And the greatest human emotion is that feeling of connection between a parent and child.”

He stressed that feeling connected at school is essential, and what’s key is how a child feels when her or she walks through the door. “As a child, it’s about: ‘Do you feel known in your school? Do you feel you can be yourself? Is there someone or something at school you are looking forward to each day?’” said Dr. Hallowell.

“Dr. Hallowell’s words were especially affirming for us at LFCDS because we make a promise to each and every parent at this school that we will know and love your children,” said Head of School Bob Whelan. “We promise that as students move through their day at our school, they will be known, not just by name, but by what interests them and makes them tick.”

Dr. Hallowell went on to say that play is indispensable in forming connections at every age level. From young children inventing their own scenarios to middle- and high-school-aged children participating in team sports – play helps children solve problems by themselves, discover their unique talents, and use their own resources. “Through play children are able to develop a positive connection to self. If they can say, ‘I like me,’ that’s self-perpetuating,” noted Dr. Hallowell. “It is easier to connect to others if you have a positive sense of who you are.”

At LFCDS, play is an important piece of the curriculum even extending into the Upper School, where children still have recess and are required to participate in a team sport. “We believe that every single student should have the opportunity to grow as part of a team,” said Mr. Whelan. “We maintain the philosophy that athletics provide students with specific opportunities to obtain critical life skills, and unique perspectives on leadership, cooperation and self-advocacy.”

“Our Special Speaker Series has allowed us to bring expert-level discussions to our parents and the community at large,” said Mr. Whelan. “We were fortunate to have Dr. Hallowell spend the afternoon with our faculty and staff engaged in continuing this important conversation on how to help children become successful, happy adults.”

Dr. Hallowell’s books include Driven to Distraction, Superparenting for ADD, and The Childhood Roots of Adult Happiness.

Those interested in learning more about the Lake Forest Country Day School experience are invited to the next Open House on Tuesday, November 17, beginning at 9:00 a.m. The Open House will offer an opportunity to tour campus, speak with teachers and students, observe classes in session, and meet families from the Lake Forest Country Day School community. To register for an Open House, please call the Admission Office at (847) 615-6151 or visit www.lfcds.org.