Hope for My Kid

This is one of my favourite lines from the movie “Forrest Gump”, after Jenny freaks and throws rocks at her broken down family home in a fit of rage.  It may be a good idea to adopt this attitude when our own children have a melt down.  But seriously, what can we do as parents to help our kids when they let their anger get the better of them?

According to Lynne Namka, Ed. D. in her article: “Correcting a Child in a Positive Way” there are ways to cue your child when they are angry and are about to lose their cool.

Here are some steps you can take:

• give your child a choice in order to break the energy of anger
• ask your child to look at his or her behaviour
• cue your child and tell him/her what to do next

Some things that you can say to your child to help calm the situation:

• “You can choose to use your firm, friendly and assertive words; not your angry ones”
• “I understand that you are feeling mad; What can you do with these feelings?”
• “You have a choice, talk about your feelings, or go to a quiet place and get your anger under control”
• “Thanks for catching yourself before hitting someone. Well done! What should you do now?”
• “Stop and look at what you are doing right now, is there a better way?  Is there a better choice you could be making right now?”

Sometimes situations that cause anger in our children can get out of control.  Our job as parents is to teach our children that it is OK to feel angry, but how we deal with these feelings is what is important.  Dealing with unpleasant feelings appropriately develops character in our children.

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Tomorrow is med review day for Josh and this fact has lead me to this entry.  The decision to medicate Josh was not an easy one, and there were many factors that influenced our decision.

Josh takes Prozac for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) which simply means he worries about everything.  He is not an “outward” worrier, but an “internal” one.  He keeps many of these worries to himself, but they manifest in physical symptoms such as tics (both physcial and vocal) or he tends to bite his nails and hands until they are raw.  The symptoms can also include stomach aches, “butterflies” or many, many tears (usually about nothing).  Sometimes Josh can become incapacitated from his fear…so medication is necessary…. for him. (more…)

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In my travels as a parent of a learning disabled kid, I have always been on the lookout for something to help Josh organize his work.  You parents out there know what I mean.  The messy printing, the eraser marks, things coloured outside the lines, ripped or missing papers.  We have a pretty good system, now, of folders and binders, and most of his written work is completed with the help of a computer.  What I want to share with you today is a piece of software that has been a godsend in addressing the organization of his throughts into written words.  That software is called “Inspiration”. (more…)

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Friday nights are usually family night out at some restaurant in town.  This Friday we decided to go out to a great Greek restaurant close to home.  Now this is a very intimate establishment with only a few tables, so Steve and I were a little worried that our son, Josh would be a little fidgety.  To our surprise, he was very well behaved, for a 10 year old who is totally plugged in to his electronics.  I thought that it would be a struggle to keep him involved in adult family conversation for more than an hour, but happily, I was wrong.  That got me thinking…how important are family meals in helping LD kids develop proper conversation and social skills?  VERY! (more…)

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Well, it is that time of year again when new registrations for high school begin.  I have been swamped with appointments with both students and parents about what types of courses to choose and what programs are available for students with unique learning needs, so I thought I would write a little something about transitions. (more…)

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We just got back form Josh’s first Aikido lesson of the new year and as I was sitting there I thought that this would be a great topic to talk about.  Aikido is a fantastic activity to get your child involved in.  (more…)

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Well, the new year has started and for most of you it is a time to re-established routines.  Why not help your child do the same?  Having consistent routines is a sure fire way to help your child say focused and confident about school.  Kids like predictability.  I know mine sure does.  So, here are some key ways to establish a solid time management routine in your house for the new year. (more…)

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I love New Year’s Eve.  I love it because it is a time to reflect on the year that has past and to make plans for the future.  I am a forward thinking person.  I am always thinking about the potential of tomorrow’s adventure.  Yet, on New Year, I love to think about how far I have come in the last year.  (more…)

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WELCOME ALL to my new blog.  I am Siobhan and I have been an educator for 18 years. I am a Special Education Specialist with a Masters Degree in Education from the University of Niagara in New York State.  I am also a Career and Guidance Specialist who assists high school students to pursue their career goals and dreams. But first and foremost, I am a parent. I am a parent with a story probably very similar to yours.  I have a child with a learning disability. (more…)

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