Someone is screaming at my child. "You are stupid." "Nobody loves you." "You don't deserve this family." My child lay crumpled on the floor sobbing. I want to shove this person away, and shout, "Don't you dare hurt my child!" But I can't. This bully is my child's ...
mental illness
I Matter: How to Give Attention to a Child Overshadowed by a Sibling’s High Needs
"Put on your shoes." Before kids, I never imagined a straightforward request yielding contrary behavior. It might as well be code for insult your sibling, pet the cat, and it's time to take a dump. In my family with kids with special needs, meltdowns occur more often at departure ...
101 Bright Ideas for Capturing Joy in Minutes When Your Family is Too Stressed
My body aches. Sweat drips off my skin. It feels like a tornado ripped through my mind. Another hour stolen by mental illness. One minute everyone is having fun. Then BAM! Something seemingly harmless triggers my child into a rage, and the fun evaporates. Hours, days, weeks, months pass ...
6 Things to Consider Before the Difficult Choice to Medicate Your Child for ADHD
Tears rolled down my eight year old daughter's cheeks barely able to choke out her words, "They don't want to play with me." No, children at school did not exclude her. Nobody teased her. Her sisters upset her because they were not playing with her. In actuality, her sisters cherish playtime ...
Are You Glad That Out of Control Kid Isn’t Your’s?
You sit under the shade of a large oak tree while your children wearing bathing suits play under the water fountains. It's a perfect afternoon except for that kid. This child screams profanities, throws mulch, and wails on the mom. What do you do when you see that kid? Do you criticize the ...