The ParentMap Lecture Series will kick off on March 1 at the Washington Cathedral, located at 12300 Woodinville-Redmond Rd. N.E., with Ashley Merryman.

The lecture, “NurtureShock: New Twists That Shape Children’s Success,” will be 7-9 p.m. Tickets are $20 in advance and can be purchased here. Tickets are $25 at the door.

Merryman will discuss how traditional parenting methods re-inscribed in society and by other “experts” might in reality impede children’s mental development. Confronting the imbalance between “good intentions” and “good ideas,” Merryman believes there are hidden “thrive factors” that can be identified in order to more effectively help children develop. By combining scientific, psychological and social research, Merryman discusses a new way of looking at the steps parents and society take into bringing up the best children possible, but also identifies what needs to be reevaluated in order for kids to really flourish.

Merryman is an acclaimed public speaker, journalist, and author. She holds a bachelor of fine arts from the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts and a Juris Doctorate from Georgetown University. Previously, she was an attorney and a speechwriter in the Clinton administration. Most recently she has written for Time Magazine, Newsweek and the Daily Beast on a range of topics concerning child development, child education, and educational testing. Besides her writing, she currently directs an all-volunteer tutoring program for inner city children in Los Angeles. A full list of her publications can be found at www.nurtureshock.com.

For more information about the other six upcoming lectures in ParentMap’s 2012 Lecture Series, including Dr. John Gottman and Howard Behar, visit parentmap.com/lectures.