Every weekday, Monday through Friday, the About.com Parenting Special Needs site offers an opportunity to read, reflect, and respond to a passage from a book, blog, or article. Here are the entries for June 2009. Read the quote, then follow the link for questions and response suggestions.
Monday, June 1: Cool
Read: "Every kid wants to have 'cool' parents. No, this does not mean they want parents who try to be hip to the latest styles (this makes you decidedly uncool). And contrary to some popular teaching, being a cool parent does not mean being so permissive that you let your kids do whatever they want. What every kid wants are parents who can keep their cool, even when things get hot." -- Hal Runkel, ScreamFree ParentingTuesday, June 2: Fixing
Book cover courtesy of Richard Selznick, Ph.D.
Read: "Parents are too quick to want to fix the problem. In many ways, there is no fix. It is not a mechanical problem that can be fixed. Your child is not a car engine that can be rewired." -- Richard Selznick, Ph.D., The Shut-Down Learner
Wednesday, June 3: Self-Esteem
Book cover courtesy of Richard Selznick, Ph.D.
Read: "Whether the child is in first grade, middle school, high school, or college, the concerns echo the same themes: Can my child handle the demands being placed on him? Are there identifiable issues that explain why he is struggling? How can we keep him from becoming overly discouraged? How can we overcome his sense of discouragement and give him a sense of self-worth?" -- Richard Selznick, Ph.D., The Shut-Down Learner
Thursday, June 4: Failure
Book cover courtesy of Richard Selznick, Ph.D.
Read: "It is human nature to avoid things we do poorly. We tend to avoid task, jobs, and activities that expose us and make us feel incompetent. This experience is the dynamic for these kids in school where every day they are exposed. Every day they are faced with feelings of failure." -- Richard Selznick, Ph.D., The Shut-Down Learner
Friday, June 5: Perseverance
Read: "You learn to persevere when you start every race a lap behind. You understand that attitude is all, and a good one is all that matters." -- Paul Daugherty, Cincinnati.comMonday, June 8: Acknowledgment
Cover image courtesy of Howard Glasser
Read: "Do you shrink from the very idea of giving yourself a pat on the back for successes, thinking that this somehow makes you egotistical or arrogant? Do you silently wait and hope for others to acknowledge your success?" -- Howard Glasser, You Are Oprah
Tuesday, June 9: Self-Confidence
Cover image courtesy of Howard Glasser
Read: "Not believing in yourself can be the greatest, most nagging curse. It can undermine every choice, every action. Conversely, deeply believing in yourself can be the greatest blessing, infusing each choice and action with strength and power." -- Howard Glasser, You Are Oprah, one of this month's books for discussion
Wednesday, June 10: Impulse
Cover image courtesy of Howard Glasser
Read: "Feeling the impulse to do something wrong isn't a crime. When that impulse is resisted, it's a victory." -- Howard Glasser, You Are Oprah, one of this month's books for discussion
Thursday, June 11: Dwelling
Cover image courtesy of Howard Glasser
Read: "On a day when you feel pulled toward dwelling on what is wrong with life, ask yourself: Would it be a loss to refuse to go down that road? Whenever that road calls, am I required to say yes to it and start trudging along? Can I say no?" -- Howard Glasser, You Are Oprah, one of this month's books for discussion
Friday, June 12: Problems
Cover image courtesy of Howard Glasser
Read: "In plowing and fertilizing the field of problems, we reap a harvest. It consists of a deeper belief that problems bring us the juiciest relationships. As a result, we manifest this, both in our internal dialogue and in attracting and deepening further juiciness of this kind in others." -- Howard Glasser, You Are Oprah, one of this month's books for discussion
