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Signature Speaking Events
For your school, your event,
and your goals
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With rising stress and social pressures, Mary Willcox Smith equips parents with simple, science-backed strategies to nurture connection, character, and confidence, turning everyday interactions into lifelong strengths.
Below is her most requested talk—perfect for any event focused on the frustrating parent struggles, children's emotional fortitude, or the mother-daughter dynamic.
Presentations can be customized for your specific concern or event.
Parenting isn’t just a balancing act—it’s a full-on high-wire performance. One moment, their kindness stops you in your tracks; the next, you’re knee-deep in meltdowns, sass, and screen-time standoffs. But really, it’s not the defiance or the yelling—it’s the weight of the self-doubt hangover that feels impossible to shake. You know what you’re doing isn’t working but just don’t know what else to do.
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What if the answer wasn’t about doing more, but doing less—differently? Parenting is exhausting—not because you’re doing too little, but because you’re doing too much of what doesn’t work.
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In 2010, Mary Willcox Smith found herself in the trenches, watching echoes of her own anxiety and depression surface in her daughters. Determined to stop the cycle, she dove into neuroscience, child development, and the growing mental health crisis facing children. She uncovered what many experts missed: small, intentional shifts—what she calls MicroSteps—hold the key to do-able, yet profound, lasting change.
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Imagine turning a meltdown into a moment of meaningful connection or a screen-time battle into an opportunity to build your child’s confidence. This is the essence of the MicroStep Method®: practical, tested in the chaos of real life, and proven to help overwhelmed parents navigate tough moments with clarity.
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In this engaging, 45-minute session, filled with humor, real-life stories, and transformative insights, you’ll discover how to turn daily struggles into small shifts that spark lasting change—helping you parent with confidence and ease.
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Ready to see parenting—and yourself—in a new light?
THE POWER OF SMALL
How simple shifts can turn overwhelm into
connection and resilience.
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Recognize and harness the “small moments” that shape character and self-belief.
​​
-
Identify key behaviors that foster resilience and self-assurance in kids.
​
-
Learn phrases and techniques to encourage open communication across all ages.
​
-
Build a toolkit for balancing structure and flexibility to meet each child’s needs.
​
-
Cultivate a sense of purpose and empathy that guides kids toward positive, independent choices
Key Takeaways
Parenting isn’t just a balancing act—it’s a full-on high-wire performance. One moment, their kindness stops you in your tracks; the next, you’re knee-deep in meltdowns, sass, and screen-time standoffs. But really, it’s not the defiance or the yelling—it’s the weight of the self-doubt hangover that feels impossible to shake. You know what you’re doing isn’t working but just don’t know what else to do.
​
What if the answer wasn’t about doing more, but doing less—differently? Parenting is exhausting—not because you’re doing too little, but because you’re doing too much of what doesn’t work.
​
In 2010, Mary Willcox Smith found herself in the trenches, watching echoes of her own anxiety and depression surface in her daughters. Determined to stop the cycle, she dove into neuroscience, child development, and the growing mental health crisis facing children. She uncovered what many experts missed: small, intentional shifts—what she calls MicroSteps—hold the key to do-able, yet profound, lasting change.
​
Imagine turning a meltdown into a moment of meaningful connection or a screen-time battle into an opportunity to build your child’s confidence. This is the essence of the MicroStep Method®: practical, tested in the chaos of real life, and proven to help overwhelmed parents navigate tough moments with clarity.
​
In this engaging, 45-minute session, filled with humor, real-life stories, and transformative insights, you’ll discover how to turn daily struggles into small shifts that spark lasting change—helping you parent with confidence and ease.
​
Ready to see parenting—and yourself—in a new light?
THE POWER OF SMALL
How simple shifts can turn overwhelm into
connection and resilience.
-
Recognize and harness the “small moments” that shape character and self-belief.
​​
-
Identify key behaviors that foster resilience and self-assurance in kids.
​
-
Learn phrases and techniques to encourage open communication across all ages.
​
-
Build a toolkit for balancing structure and flexibility to meet each child’s needs.
​
-
Cultivate a sense of purpose and empathy that guides kids toward positive, independent choices
Key Takeaways
Popular Presentations
The MicroStep Method™ in Parenting: Cultivating Resilience and Connection One Step at a Time
Mary Willcox Smith offers a compelling look into the heart of parenting through the lens of her MicroStep Method™. Drawing on her own journey through a childhood marked by trauma and the challenges of raising four daughters, born within a span of just five years, Mary presents a narrative that is both deeply personal and universally resonant.
This presentation goes beyond conventional parenting advice. Mary's story underscores the profound impact of our past on our parenting styles and highlights the power of childhood brain science, self-awareness, and healing in fostering a nurturing family environment.
Through practical examples, engaging storytelling, and a sense of humor, Mary demonstrates how intentional engagement in the seemingly insignificant moments of daily life can forge a bond to support children's emotional growth.
Attendees will walk away with tools to put the MicroStep Method™ to use right away, enabling them to cultivate an atmosphere of empathy and resilience within their families, where daily challenges are transformed into opportunities for growth and connection.
I Just Wish They Weren't So Anxious
Anxiety is an inextricable part of the human condition, but as parents it is difficult when our children suffer before exams, sports matches, music recitals…even outings with friends! Learn the simple brain science behind anxiety and get easy-to-implement tools so your child will develop the emotional hardware to experience and process anxiety, then move on to enjoying themselves. The even better news? These same tools lead to better behavior, increased cooperation and more calm at home. And who can’t use that?!
Building Boundaries - Why and How
Learn why boundaries are so critical for a child’s emotional development (not to mention your sanity). Understand why it feels so incredibly hard to stick to them and why consequences don't seem to be working. Walk away with research-backed parenting strategies that allow you to change the family dynamic and to get everyone back on track with a new set of boundaries: yours and theirs.
Talking to Kids About Scary Things
Now, more than ever, kids are exposed to difficult topics and traumatic events, leaving parents confused by their protective instincts to guard the innocence of our children as long as we can. We will discuss the simple brain science behind anxiety and what makes children feel safe and, with this foundation, look at how parents can engage their children in these seminal moments, so that they can support their children without contributing to the anxiety.
Power Tools for Power Struggles
Power struggles are at the root of so many challenges in virtually every household. 'My child won't listen,' 'My daughter is so manipulative,' 'My son is so aggressive.' These are not uncommon themes. Children dig in and our intuitive response - which includes bribing, punishing, and times outs - just doesn't seem to work. And the battle is on. Understand what is really behind the power struggles, get tips to avoid them, and learn an approach that is key to gaining your child’s cooperation.
Cultivating Resilience or How Can I Give My Child Resiliency?
While you can’t just give a child resilience, you can absolutely nurture it. Resilience is sort of paradoxical: we want them to toughen up, but kids need some hand holding to turn hard times into resilience. The good news? You can use any of the day-to-day parenting struggles or successes to help shape your child’s brain – and bolster resiliency.
Mary’s going to share with you the simple brain science behind resiliency and give you easy-to-implement tools to help your child develop the emotional hardware to deal with whatever life throws at them. The even better news? These same tools lead to better behavior, increased cooperation and more calm at home. And who can’t use that?!
The Power of a Reset: Getting Your Parenting Back on Track?
Feeling like your parenting has gotten away from you? Maybe its frustrating behavior, communication challenges, or you just want stronger relationships in your family. The good news? It's never to late to get back on track. We'll explore how to reset your parenting, using simple brain science, easy-to-implement tools, and tips for connection. As a result, you will not only restore your confidence but enjoy increased cooperation, calm and connection at home.
Rewriting Your Parenting Story
No one’s parenting journey goes the way they expect. But do you feel like your story has gotten away from you? Take back the narrative of your parenting. In this deeply personal and vulnerable presentation, Mary shares her own story- one that includes a childhood filled with trauma and her lifelong work to overcome her history and write a new chapter for her own children.
Learn how being the parents we want to be starts with this hard look at where we’ve been and how to get where we want to be, for our sake and for our children’s. In the end, you will have the script for a new, hope filled story of your parenting and your family.
The Myth of Perfectionism
The pressures today for girls to be perfect permeate every aspect of their lives. How they look online, their witty, artistic or clever presence on social media, getting all A's or making the A team (and looking good doing it), or winning an art scholarship - the pressure is ubiquitous and unrelenting. And seeing anything other than perfection as failure results in girls playing it safe --it crushes risk taking, creativity and ambition.
Achieving is admirable if it means working towards goals that stretch themselves. Striving for perfection, though, does the opposite. At minimum, these girls sell themselves short and in the extreme, they are at the risk for a host of mental health issues including anxiety, depression, and social phobia.
Learn what perfectionism really is and how it manifests. Walk away with 5 mindset shifts and a set of tools to bolster you daughter's self-esteem and raise daughters who are secure, confident, brave...and happy.
Parenting Today for Your Athlete Tomorrow
Having been a parent and a Parent Coach, spent years watching and coaching youth sports, and lived all sides of the parent-child-coach triangle, my biggest realization is that there are no hard and fast rules. Every child is different. Every parent is different. Every situation is different. But there are commonalities.
In this presentation, I untangle five myths that surround youth sports. Simply understanding the pressure and culture behind these myths give parents pause to review their own values and what it is they really want for their athlete. Parents will walk away with concepts and tools to begin cultivating in their children the foundation, the skills, and the mental capacity to thrive as an athlete…all while nurturing a relationship with the connection they want, and their children need.
Your Group, Your Presentation
STEP 1
You can either select from one of my signature presentations or we can discuss additional or customized topics that might be more relevant to your group.
STEP 2
CUSTOMIZE
- Presentations available with our without slides​
- Handouts included upon request
- Audience questions may be submitted ahead of time
- Q&A session optional
- Virtual (nationally) or in-person (Washington DC tri-state)
STEP 3
FOLLOW UP
Slides available to download following the presentation
