CREATIVE411

Do you feel like this after parenting your challenging child? Maybe these tips will help.

Enlightened, tremendously talented, verbally dynamic, superbly intelligent and challenging. Questioning how to parent this child becomes a daily endeavor. Be prepared for success,  failure, self doubt, revelation and pride all rolled into the makeup of your daily routine.

Routine and consistency are key to guide you through the most difficult times and aide to make the happy moments more memorable. Praising their accomplishments and having clear consequences for their choices is an absolute necessity.You must decide to pick your battles and pick them wisely. Deciding what the line is in your home is imperitive. Making clear what the boundaries are, what will occur when they are crossed, and following through. The biggest mistake most parents make is in issuing threats, instead of using pre-set guidelines with pre-set consequences. Using this approach keeps everyone on the same page with all knowing what to expect. Threats undermine authority and have no concrete actionable outcome, follow through or consistency.  If you do not ensure what you have deemed important in your home is carried out, anarchy will rule.

Trying to befriend your child, especially one who presents unique challenges only adds confusion to an already difficult situation. Your role needs to be clear, you are the parent. It is complicated for some to define themselves this way, but it should not be. If you do not give your children a role model to emulate how can you expect to be taken seriously?

As parents we need to look at our own habits to determine if our lack of inaction is causing mixed signals to be sent to our child, adding stress and compounding the situation. Making a few simple changes can reduce or eliminate some problem areas you may be facing with your child.

For example, having a bedtime and morning schedule can provide a stable routine for your child to slip into. You must be willing to stay on top of this new program, understand it will take work. Do NOT give up!

Never, ever give up on them or yourself as a parent, as stubbornness runs rampant with this bunch, and they will remember your devotion. Challenging children can be the most fulfilling and successful group, how you parent them will contribute to their outcome.

Photo courtesy of myhotcomments.com

Trackback URI | Comments RSS