Parenting a Difficult Child? There is Hope!
As a parent, I know the feeling well… I felt desperate, hopeless and overwhelmed with no end in sight, and nowhere to turn. This is where I was with a new baby and a traumatized 13 year old foster daughter. I had no idea how to make it work and felt I was failing my children. We considered throwing in the towel, but my wife and I were certain God’s calling for our lives was to help damaged children heal and understand His love.
Now 12 year later we are going to be celebrating our daughters 25th birthday. She is working full time, living on her own and has a goal of becoming a child case worker someday. In that 12 years our family has grown to include 11 children and our life is mostly chaos free. That’s right, we were overwhelmed and about to give up with two, and now we have 11! A lot has happened in 12 years to make this possible. After a major shift in our philosophy on parenting and learning techniques that work with even the most difficult kids, we are not just surviving but are thriving as parents.
Why do I tell you all of this? Because I want you to feel the freedom I feel. I spent the last 12 years learning from the best in the field, navigating challenges in my own family and developing a professional practice where I have helped many families find freedom. I learned that behavior modification strategies and traditional parenting don’t work with difficult children and often make it worse. I learned how to work from a brain based, attachment perspective to free children from the trauma, attachment issues and behavioral difficulties. In this process, I have seen many parents empowered as they learned to connect with and guide their children instead of trying to control their behaviors. Listen to what some parents have to says about her experience:
“For seven years, we have seen traumatic stress counselors, psychiatrists, family therapists and group therapists, without success. In the beginning of April 2014, I sought parenting strategies at Grace Wellness Center for my adoptive teenage daughter who has RAD. The strategies and encouragement have been exactly what my husband and I needed. The coaching and time spent learning how to deal with ongoing situations has yielded great benefits for our family. I would encourage any parent especially parents of children with RAD to give this avenue a serious try.” (Dana C)
“Thank you for facilitating the My Kids boot camp. It was pivotal for us in learning how to effectively parent our RAD daughter. What a difference it has made for our whole family. Frankly, it has helped us across the board in our marriage, friendships, family relationships, and professional relationships. We would highly recommend this “boot camp” for parents who are challenged in raising attachment disorder children. Honestly, we are filled with hope and promise now more than ever!” (JD & SD)
Are you ready to move past the frustrations and stress and enjoy your family? We have a plan.
Join the My Kids Community today: