angry children

Is Therapy For My Child With ADHD Really That Important?

Thursday, July 23rd, 2009 A Reader Asks:My child with ADHD is doing well on her prescribed medication, except she has this terrible screaming meltdown problem. My husband and I have to yell at her and threaten to spank her to get her to stop. Our doctor asked me if I thought we needed therapy. So now I’ll ask you…Is therapy really that important?  Respect Effect Mom Answers:Medication solves only 25% of the problem at best. The rest of thesolution requires therapy, structure and behavior modification, and consistency. A skilled play therapist can help you with all of these.I highly recommend that all married parents that have children with ADHD get marital counseling. Parenting a child with ADHD can take a terrible toll on marriage....

ADHD Parenting: Teaching Empathy, Self-control, and Proper Emotional Expression with Feeling Words

Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009 Parents and their children with ADHD are often surprised to learn that there is no absolute way to feel in a given situation.  For example, if two parents are watching their son struggle with the dreaded multiplication facts, the father might feel angry and frustratedbecause his son does not know his “nines” after seven days of studying.  The mother might feel worried and depleted because she is running out of ways to help and motivate him.  A person’s feelings are valid and real.Feelings Open Your Child’s Eyes to the Shades of Gray of FeelingsThe lame parental statement “You are making me mad, so go to your room, now” can be expressed in graduating degrees of intensity. For example, “You’re chewing your food with your mouth open.  That’s annoying.”  “I’m getting irritated to see you put so much...

ADHD Parenting: How Can I Help My Child Without Losing My Mind?

Friday, July 17th, 2009 A reader asks: My son hasn't been diagnosed with ADHD but I know in my soul, he has it. He was such a wonderful child from birth to age 5 (3 years ago. That’s when I noticed a behavior change. Now, he's the complete opposite—not loving but selfish, not caring but rude and obnoxious. And never stops talking. He talks over us and interrupts our conversations, especially when I’m on the phone. He's impatient, vengeful, resentful and mean. He blames others for his mistakes and is oversensitive. I have tried different things, but nothing worked. I’m tired, stressed out, and need some help.  I got angry at him, screamed at him, and cursed him. Yes, it might have felt good...

Adhd Parenting: A Poem About My Family’s Story

Tuesday, July 14th, 2009 I wrote this poem about my experience with my son who was diagnosed with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) when he was four. By age 8, he had full-scale ODD, oppositional defiant disorder, and our family was in real trouble. I hope it touches you and gives you hope. The Turnaround  The quicksand of worry was starting to win.The more that we struggled, the more we sunk in.With fierce love and honor, we clawed at the rim.It was just so chaotic living with him. This man-child with blue eyes and bright golden curls,Who charmed the grandmothers and giggling girls,Would gut us and wrench us from every direction,Then cry for a break from our icy rejection. The torment and sorrow were too much to...

Runaways: If Your Child Runs Away From Home, Here’s What To Do

Wednesday, July 8th, 2009 If your child runs away from home, you must call the police for assistance.  When it gets to this point, things can get out of control fast.  If he runs away from home, first determine whether he is running away from or running to something, someone, or somewhere.  Know where your children are at all times. A child abducted by a stranger has a three-hour life expectancy.  Most child abductions by strangers are sexually motivated.  These predators often use the child as pornographic material and kill him or her immediately to hush and hide the evidence.  Explain this hard cold fact to your child.  Tell him, “If it ever gets bad enough that you think it’s better to run away than suffer at...

Parenting: Challenging Child Warning Signs That May Lead to ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder)

Wednesday, July 8th, 2009 If your child has ODD (oppositional defiant disorder) or bipolar, you’re familiar with child behavior problems. If your child has signs of autism, ADHD or ADD (attention deficit disorder), Aspergers, or PDD-NOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified), you may be seeing challenging behaviors.Five Warning Signs of Challenging Child BehaviorIf you suspect that your child’s difficult behavior is something more than just being a kid, these are the warning signs of a full-fledged challenging child.1. Refuses to look up into your eyes. This is one of the early signs that your parent-child relationship is in trouble. He refuses to look up into your eyes because that gives you power. He doesn’t trust you enough to give you that control. To...

Parenting Advice: What to do when your child says, “I hate you.”…

Wednesday, January 14th, 2009 If your child yells, I hate you," and you put on a hurt look or act like a pat of melted butter, he wins this round of emotional blackmail. It's easier for him to verbally abuse "safe Mommy who loves him" than to face the hurtful truth, so it's up to you to change. Calmly say, “I give you permission to hate me.  Do you need to hate me for ten or fifteen [double digit] minutes?”  Let him choose.  Set the timer and leave the room.  When it goes off, check on your child.  If he is still scowling, say, “I see that you’re still daggering me with your eyes, so I’ll give you more time to be angry with me.” (Daggering is our word for the “looking though eye slits”...

ADHD School: Homework Problems Solved - This Gift…

Wednesday, December 3rd, 2008 Tonight's Respect Effect Parenting Success Summit Event Session 1 - Kumon - No more homework police Remember when you were little and you had that ONE gift you were just DYING to give your mom or dad? Just thinking about their opening it made you feel fantastic... That's how I feel about this session with Dr. Mary Mokris of Kumon North America. Listen, if you know anyone with a child who's struggling in school, send this to them. They've just GOT to attend this session. http://www.respecteffectparenting.com <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< ************************************* This one event alone will CHANGE YOUR LIFE. That's a promise. If I could do ONE thing over again, I would have kept my son with ADHD in Kumon from kindergarten til...