I have many parents contact me asking, “What can you do to help my kid?” I always answer with, “The real question is ‘What can YOU do as director of the team to help your kid?’” A crucial part of our practice as behavior analysts and educators is collaboration with parents, caregivers and educators.
Working with families as a family/parent coach, I get to hear a lot of the stressors that parents endure while raising their children. Although I tend to focus on the behaviors of the child and the relationship between the parents and the children, I can’t close my ears to the plight of families navigating the various systems they encounter while trying to access care for their child. In this series, I will talk about how parents can advocate for their child in areas like school, mental health, and medical care.
There’s nothing like the holiday season to conjure up memories of family, tradition, great meals and relaxation. By the same token, the word holidays inspires anxiety in many with all of the frenzied shopping, planning and cooking.
I walked into the kitchen for a quick break, recently, and my 13 year-old son looked up from his homework with sad, puppy-dog eyes. I suggested a fresh air break, even offered to go for a walk. Much to my surprise, he took me up on it! I guess it was time for a longer break than anticipated. When a spontaneous opportunity to date my kids magically appears, far be it from me to miss out!
Child Psychiatrist & Author brazeltontouchpoints.org
Child Psychiatrist & Author brazeltontouchpoints.org
