Stronger Families: A Positive Parenting Conference presented by Catholic School Parents South Australia

Stronger Families: A Positive Parenting Conference
Presented by Catholic School Parents South Australia

This one-day event is tailored for parents and professionals involved with youth, offering a platform where prominent parenting experts from Australia come together to share invaluable insights on modern-day challenges affecting children and teenagers

Program

Featured Speakers 

Maggie Dent: "Calming teen stress and anxiety". 

Stress and anxiety are not all bad. In fact, they can become a superpower at times. When they are unhelpful and problematic, though, we can learn new habits that can change our neurochemicals. In this session, parenting author, educator and former high school teacher and counsellor Maggie Dent will explore stress and anxiety and how adolescents (and their parents/carers) can better understand and cope with it. 

Wayne Holdsworth: Start a Conversation Now 

Wayne Holdsworth turned personal tragedy into a mission for change. After losing his 17-year-old son Mac to suicide following a sextortion incident, he founded SmackTalk, a charity dedicated to suicide prevention and awareness. Through his presentations, Wayne educates communities on the warning signs of suicide and the dangers of online exploitation, aiming to reduce suicide rates to zero.  

Wayne’s work has earned him recognition as a 2025 VIC Australian of the Year nominee for his relentless efforts in fighting sexual extortion and suicide 

Greg Attwells - You Can’t Out-Parent an Algorithm 

Nearly every teenager is on social media—and that’s no accident. These platforms are engineered by Big Tech to capture and commodify the attention of young people in their most formative years. 

In this powerful and practical session, Greg Attwells—Director of the global 36 Months movement—pulls back the curtain on the systems shaping teen mental health and shares how Australia became the first country in the world to raise the minimum age of social media access from 13 to 16. 

This is both a wake-up call and a roadmap. Greg will explore what this shift means for schools, families, and faith communities—and answer the questions parents are asking: 

How do kids feel about this? 

How will the new laws be enforced? 

What about teenagers on the fringe who rely on social media for connection? 

And what role can we play in raising resilient teens who thrive beyond the scroll? 

Madhavi Nawana Parker  - 'Self regulation: how to stay connected, calm and influential in your child's life.'  

The session will provide simple, quick and evidence-based tools to develop your own emotional regulation skills while you navigate the emotional storms that young people inevitably experience as they navigate the very real ups and downs of the online world.  

Seating is general admission and light lunch is provided.

For more information contact trish.jarvis@cspsa.catholic.edu.au