Control Yourself Before You Control Your Child
Children with behavioral special needs can surely get your goat, and it's easy to become angry or emotional or overwrought. But if you're out of control yourself, you'll never be able to control your child. Follow these tips for keeping yourself, your child, and the situation in hand.
Never Say "No"
A child psychologist has a tip for parents about using positive instead of negative language to frame their instructions to children.
A child psychologist has a tip for parents about using positive instead of negative language to frame their instructions to children.
Pull the Plug on Power Struggles
Power struggles are no-win situations for both parents and kids. So here's a thought: Don't engage. It takes two to fight, and you can choose not to be one of them.
Power struggles are no-win situations for both parents and kids. So here's a thought: Don't engage. It takes two to fight, and you can choose not to be one of them.
Turn Down the Emotional Volume
It's hard not to get angry or upset when your child is acting defiant, manic or aggressive. For many kids with special needs that influence their behavior, however, that outburst of anger can make things far, far worse. Turn down the emotional volume to bring your child back in tune.
It's hard not to get angry or upset when your child is acting defiant, manic or aggressive. For many kids with special needs that influence their behavior, however, that outburst of anger can make things far, far worse. Turn down the emotional volume to bring your child back in tune.
Keep It Calm
In this excerpt from "Kids in the Syndrome Mix of ADHD, LD, Asperger's, Tourette's, Bipolar, and More!" author Martin L. Kutscher, M.D., shares some strategies for dealing with problem behavior.
In this excerpt from "Kids in the Syndrome Mix of ADHD, LD, Asperger's, Tourette's, Bipolar, and More!" author Martin L. Kutscher, M.D., shares some strategies for dealing with problem behavior.
Choosing Your Battles
When dealing with children with special needs, not every behavioral misstep is worth fighting over. Here's how to be a benevolent dictator.
When dealing with children with special needs, not every behavioral misstep is worth fighting over. Here's how to be a benevolent dictator.
When Ultimatums Don't Work
So your child takes "Do that one more time and you'll get in trouble" as an invitation? What you need are ultimatums that are less ultimate and more effective.
So your child takes "Do that one more time and you'll get in trouble" as an invitation? What you need are ultimatums that are less ultimate and more effective.