Ah, summer! After such an unsettled year with so many changes and new routines, it feels great to NOT be on a schedule, right? Or does it? A summer schedule for kids can be so beneficial: the structure of a summer schedule helps kids feel secure, gives them boundaries, and increases productivity for you, too.
How to create a summer schedule for kids Read More »
Six weeks and two days was as long as I lasted. Yes, I counted the days. I had always thought of myself as the fairly strong-minded, perseverant person. I was completely prepared for motherhood—the sleepless nights, the changes to my body, the mental and physical toll—all of it. I felt like I was walking into
Why your parenting needs science Read More »
You may be thinking, “No! Of course not!” But yes, you may be undermining your child’s success. How do I know? We ALL do it! Need an example? I have plenty. I first noticed it during math homework, but, as much as I wish it wasn’t true, math wasn’t the only problem. It was happening
Are you undermining your child’s success? Read More »
“THIS HAS GOT TO STOP!” Whatever it is–tantrums, hitting, whining—there are childhood behaviors that just reach their shelf life, like, yesterday, and you want them to be gone. There’s a trick to make this happen right? Easy parenting tools I can use? Sort of. Well, not exactly… but don’t give up yet. Stay with me.
Easy parenting tools: The one ‘trick’ your parenting toolbox needs Read More »
…and why it sabotages their parenting In my job as a behavior analyst, I have a front row seat to people’s parenting behavior. The parenting mistakes and the wins. I get to be in the trenches with people as they are working on being the best parent they can be and it is an honor—and
Six parenting mistakes I wish parents would stop doing… Read More »
Being a mom is a full-time gig…actually, what’s MORE than full-time? Full and three-quarters? Being a mom is something like that. And when you’re a special needs mom, caring for an atypically-developing child, it can feel even more draining at times. We all need to recharge our batteries, but how? If you’re reading this as
Self-care for special needs moms Read More »
Travel with special needs kids requires some extra attention, accommodations, and patience. I still wince when I think of the time my then five-year-old had such an out-of-control tantrum while inside a port-a-potty, I thought he might knock it over, with himself inside it! And that happened ten years ago! Parents of kids with special
Travel with special needs kids: Family vacation tips Read More »
Deciding to medicate your child for ADHD, autism, or depression is a huge decision and one that is usually a last resort for most parents. Starting meds for kids is a decision that definitely needs to be taken seriously. Personally, I waited longer than I should have to use meds for depression and meds for
5 questions to ask before starting meds for kids Read More »
Parenting is hard. Special needs parenting is harder. If you’ve been there, you know that it can get intense. And serious. And it takes a lot of reading, research, and dedication. But you know what? Special needs parenting doesn’t have to be a totally serious endeavor all the time. Sometimes, we can take a lighthearted
Five lessons I learned about special needs parenting from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off Read More »
Look around any classroom and you will see plenty of squirming and movement that looks like off-task activities. While some of these kids are just being kids, many of these little wigglers have been diagnosed with ADD/ADHD. For those students, the wiggles are not behavior problems, but rather the coping mechanisms they have developed to
Five fidget activities that increase focus for kids with Add/ADHD Read More »