There's No Quick Fix When Something Feels "Off"
Happy Thursday! You made it!
Nothing is more terrifying for a parent than feeling like something is “off” with our child. For some of us, this happens in the delivery room. For others, it happens when our kids don’t meet developmental milestones, or when our younger children start bypassing their older sibling. Sometimes a teacher pulls us aside to let us know something is going on, and other times it’s a slow dawning that our kiddo isn’t acting like the other kids at the birthday parties anymore. It takes some of us years to fully realize that something is amiss, while for others, awareness seems to happen in a flash.
No matter how or when parents realize that their child is struggling in an unexpected way, it is terrifying. We often spend hours and days down rabbit holes on Google, typing in things like, “What does it mean when my child [insert concerning behavior here]?” or “What are the symptoms of [insert name of a diagnosis that you wonder about]?” Or we look up local specialists who might be able to give them some insight… but we don’t know who to call first. The child’s pediatrician? A psychologist? An occupational therapist? A play therapist? How do we know WHO to ask if we don’t even know WHAT to ask?
So many parents find me when they realize that all the web searches in the world are not going to answer their persistent questions or help them figure out what to do next. It is a privilege to work with parents of neurodivergent kids and parents navigating their child’s mental health challenges, and those parents are relieved and grateful to have someone who has been doing this for 30 years on their team.
Tip of the Week: Whether your children are neurotypical, neurodivergent, or neuro-spicy, the goal of parent coaching is NOT to change or “fix” our kids. The work we do in coaching is designed to help parents create a home environment where everyone can thrive, create real understanding about each member of the family, and create safety in our closest relationships. When we do that, we can all learn to successfully regulate, communicate, and cooperate to create a family life that feels like a haven for us and our kids.
Resource of the Week: I LOVE how this writer explains the Autism Spectrum (it’s not what you think). https://neuroclastic.com/its-a-spectrum-doesnt-mean-what-you-think/
Want to explore how I can help parenting make sense, even when it looks nothing like what you expected? Reach out to me!
You’ve got this,
Cari
One more thing– Please forward this to any other parents who might love some short, sweet, and useful weekly parenting tips! (If you got this from a friend, good job for having such thoughtful people looking out for you! Please head over to my website to sign up for the weekly newsletter.)
