“They Call You a ‘Problem Child.’ I Know Your Heart Will Save Me Every Time.”
“That was the day I realized exactly how alike we are, my problem child. Our brains function the same way, and it’s not the way neurotypicals do. Emotions are hard for us. It’s easier to push them down and pretend they aren’t there. You are my Problem Child. I don’t say this (that title was […]
Positive Parenting Mindshift: Your Child Isn’t Misbehaving on Purpose
This blog is the second in a series based on my 2021 book Why is My Child in Charge? A Roadmap to End Power Struggles, Increase Cooperation, and Find More Joy in Parenting Your Young Children. Through stories of my work with families, I show how making critical mindshifts—seeing children’s behaviors through a new lens […]
Helping African-American children with mental health issues
Last week I saw two children, both African American, who were having suicidal thoughts. In neither case did the child or the parents come in asking for mental health support. One, a 13-year-old girl I’ll call Simone, wrote on her PHQ-9 depression screener that she had attempted suicide. In our interview, she revealed that she […]
