Day 7
READ: "Love your child now; make decisions for him later." -- from You Will Dream New Dreams, edited by Stanley D. Klein, PhD, and Kim Schive • 
REFLECT: Do I let worry and research and planning get in the way of just sitting down and loving my child? Do I think more about her current needs or future ones?
RESPOND: Planning and researching and learning about your child are all important things, but none is as important as giving your time and your energy and your full excited attention to your child in the here and now -- try to find happiness in your child as he is today; focus on her present, not her future; and never miss a chance to show your love.
Day 8
READ: "One of the things that's different about women is that we need to share our feelings. It's such a sense of loneliness when you're dealing with this, and you need to share that with someone." -- from From the Heart by Jayne D.B. Marsh •
REFLECT: Do I have someone in my life who really listens to me, without criticism or agenda? Do I need more support than I'm getting right now?
RESPOND: We all need some way to let our feelings out; if there's nobody in your life right now who can receive those feelings in a useful way, try one of these options: Keep a journal; seek out a support group; or post on our Parenting Special Needs forum.
Day 9
READ: "So, the parent must step out of time and place and become the parent this child needs, not the parent that society (and the parent's ego) dictates. It requires an almost superhuman love, where the parent's expectations are set aside and the needs of the child are met first." — from The Bipolar Child by Demitri Papolos, MD, and Janice Papolos • Read a Review
REFLECT: Am I being the parent my child needs? Do I let my own expectations get in the way of helping my child? Do I think of it as love when I put my child's needs first, or indulgence?
RESPOND: Try to see the world today through your child's eyes -- a behavior analysis may help you figure out what he or she needs from you, and reading all you can about your child's disability can help you become a strong and effective advocate.
Day 10
READ: "Giving your child attention when he needs it and when a job must get done quickly is perfectly okay. Particularly when your family runs on a tight schedule, you will do whatever works to move everybody from Point A to Point B. Unenlightened parents ignore their children. Enlightened parents do what they can to make their children's lives pleasant and safe." -- from The Out-of-Sync Child by Carol Stock Kranowitz • Read a Review
REFLECT: Am I an enlightened parent or an unenlightened one? Am I afraid of doing too much for my child? Are there times when doing more could make my family and my child less stressed?
RESPOND: Identify one "whatever works" situation in your family's schedule and allow yourself to give your child whatever help he or she needs to make it through that. Mornings are one area when this may be particularly useful. Make sure you're setting reasonable goals for your child, and giving him or her the support needed to learn new skills.
Day 11
READ: "Parents sometimes ask, 'Is it better to have a long fuse or a short fuse?' I tell them, 'It's better not to be a bomb at all.' Wherever your exploding point, your child will find it." -- from Parenting with Love...Without Anger or Stress by Bob Lancer • Author's Site
REFLECT: Do I let my kid get my goat? Can I teach self-control if I can't demonstrate it?
RESPOND: Everybody blows up once in a while, but if you're doing it on a daily basis, think about finding ways to control your reactions, even if it means giving yourself a time-out now and then.
Day 12
READ: "I strongly believe that the most important task of parenting is giving your children a foundation of self-respect. Everything else -- your happiness and theirs -- flows from that." -- from Reflections from a Different Journey, edited by by Stanley D. Klein, PhD, and John D. Kemp • Read a Review
REFLECT: How much time do I spend thinking about my child's self-respect and self-esteem? Do I get so caught up in everyday details of his or her disability, treatment and education that I lose sight of the larger picture?
RESPOND: Follow our Top 5 Ways to Boost Your Child's Self-Esteem, then follow the "suggested reading" links for additional ideas.
Day 13
READ: "Authors of popular parenting books contradict each other: Take charge of your family insists one; Celebrate your child's inner spirit, asserts another; Turn off the TV! shouts a third. Which one to listen to? A parent has to wonder." -- from The Sensory-Sensitive Child by Karen A. Smith and Karen R. Gouze •
REFLECT: Which parenting books have meant the most to me? Which ones have I really found to be useless?
RESPOND: Parenting books can be immensely helpful in figuring your child out or staying inspired, but no book is right for everyone; consult our guidelines for picking a book that will be meaningful for you.
