Six Steps You Can Take to Keep From Losing Your Cool

It’s normal to lose your cool sometimes as a parent. And parenting a child with learning and thinking differences can be especially tricky. When you feel yourself getting upset with your child during a confrontation, having a cool-down plan in place can be a big help.

Review these steps and personalize your plan when you’re feeling calm. It can help you stay cool in the heat of the moment.

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Anthony Kapp
Teaching Kids About Boundaries

or most parents setting boundaries for young kids’ behavior is second nature: No hitting. Don’t interrupt. We don’t grab toys out of other kids’ hands.

But as kids get older, boundaries for social interaction are important too. They need to learn to set boundaries for themselves and respect those of others. And that takes empathy — being able to recognize what others want and need, as well as what they themselves want and need.

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Anthony Kapp
5 Halloween Challenges for Kids with ADHD

Halloween is exciting. It’s also noisy, chaotic, and full of distractions. These are challenges for kids who struggle with focus and self-control, like kids with ADHD. With a little planning, though, you can limit problems without limiting the fun for your child. Here are common Halloween challenges for kids with ADHD, and how to help.

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Anthony Kapp
ADHD and Depression

ADHD doesn’t cause depression, but the two conditions often occur together. Kids with ADHD are much more likely to be depressed than kids who don’t have ADHD. That’s especially true as they hit the teen years.

Why do these conditions often co-occur? One reason is that ADHD can create a lot of challenges for kids, and those challenges can lead to depression. School and behavior problems can wear down their self-esteem. Trouble with social skills can make them feel isolated.

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Anthony Kapp
Incorporate Nutrition Into Your Child’s Sensory Diet

A “Sensory Diet” incorporates activities throughout the day which provide “food” for the brain and help to create a healthy neurological sensory processing system. A sensory diet rich in movement and touch experiences can facilitate improved cognition, organization of behavior, and more accurate interpretation of sensory information.

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Anthony Kapp
How Anxiety Leads to Problem Behavior

The symptoms of anxiety that most of us think of are clinging to parents, avoiding things or being very shy. But problem behavior can also be a symptom of anxiety. That’s because some anxious children feel an overwhelming need to get out of the situation that’s making them uncomfortable. That behavior may look like anger or defiance. Learn more about what kinds of help are available for anxious kids who act out…

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Anthony Kapp
How to Separate From Clingy Kids

Walking away when your child doesn’t want you to go feels terrible. Kids make it pretty clear that they don’t like it, either. Their tears, pleas and clinging hands stay with you even after you’ve said your goodbyes.

A clingy phase is something many parents face in the early years. It’s a typical stage of development that tends to start when kids are still babies, around age one, says Stephanie Schwartz, PsyD, a clinical psychologist at the Child Mind Institute. “It really reflects the fact that babies have developed strong attachments with their caregivers,” Dr. Schwartz explains.

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Anthony Kapp