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Special Needs Blog Week in Review – June 17 – 23, 2012

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It is time, once again, for the Special Needs Blog Week in Review. It brings you a quick summary of each of the blogs that were posted here in the past seven days. This is an easy way to find the blogs that you might have missed. The Special Needs Podcast Roundup went up on June 18, 2012. This week, I’d like to point out an episode of The Coffee Klatch. The episode is called “The Best of Coffee Klatch – Dr. Ross Greene – Explosive Child”. Dr. Ross Green is the author of a book called “The Explosive Child”. … Continue reading →

A Babysitter for Kids Who Have Special Needs

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Every parent needs a break once in a while. It can be difficult to find a babysitter for a child who has special needs. Often, this leaves parents in constant caregiver mode, without time to spend with their spouse or by themselves. Here are some ideas about how to find a good babysitter that will understand your child’s special needs. Parenting can be an extremely rewarding experience. It can also, at times, be overwhelmingly stressful. This is true for all parents, however, parents of children who have special needs can face an additional amount of stress. There are times when … Continue reading →

Special Moms of Special Kids

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Mother’s Day is a good time to do a shout-out to all the moms of children who have special needs. Parenting can be difficult, and it can also be rewarding. It has been said that parents of kids who have special needs have a more extreme version of parenting. Happy Mother’s Day to all of you! Let’s face it: moms do a lot! This is not to say that dads don’t contribute, because they do. Often, though it is the mothers who take on the biggest part of parenting. A study found that parents of children who have autism face … Continue reading →

Help Your Child to Cope with Sibling’s Special Needs

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It is typical for a family that includes more than one child to see some sibling rivalry from time to time. What isn’t so typical is the amount of responsibility that kids who have a sibling that has special needs often feel is placed upon them. Here are a few tips to help your child cope with the special needs of his or her sibling. As the oldest kid, I spent time helping my younger siblings with homework, with tying their shoes, and with other day to day activities. This isn’t unheard of or unusual. The difference was that my … Continue reading →

Ways to Help Parents of Kids With Special Needs

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Perhaps you are reading this blog because you are a parent of a child who has a special need. If not, then you might be reading this because you have a family member, a loved one, or a good friend who has a child that has special needs. Here are a few ideas about how you can offer help and support to that person. Parenting is an incredibly difficult job. Parents don’t often get “days off”, and almost never get “sick days”. There is an emotional component that comes with parenting that can be extremely moving, or incredibly stressful, or … Continue reading →

How Much Do You Pay Your Babysitter?

“Bankrupt by Babysitter!” It’s a mock headline, but one that is apropos after speaking to my friend in Atlanta, who claims her bank account, has been sapped by her babysitter. The babysitter she pays $15 an hour to watch her three kids (who are 2, 4, and 6). Fifteen bucks an hour! That’s more than I made working my first post-college job… and my second… and third—COMBINED! Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating a little (and by little I mean like 50 cents–COMBINED), but I think my exasperation is warranted. Fifteen dollars an hour for watching three well-behaved children watch TV for … Continue reading →

Try Not to Use a Babysitter as Punishment

The other day, I was out and about and I heard a harried mother threaten: “Next time, you don’t get to come with me, you’ll have to stay home with a babysitter!” She spat out the word babysitter like she was threatening shackles and chains. This got me to thinking about what a treat it was for my own kids when they “got” to have a sitter–instead of presenting it as punishment, we always viewed it as a special date when the kids would get to “play” with the sitter and get a break from Mom! Babysitters have trouble enough … Continue reading →

A Special Needs Parenting Energy Crisis?

What is the greatest gift that you can personally give your child? Take a moment and think about your answer. It it LOVE? Love is a wonderful thing, but nope. I don’t think so. Love is not enough. We’ve all heard of parents who probably loved their kids very much, but lost them due to neglect or abuse. I don’t think we can always say that abusive parents don’t love their children. Even neglectful parents may love their kids. But they don’t have the tools, knowledge, or mental health to be good parents. So I ask again, what is the … Continue reading →

My Child Misbehaves at School but Not at Home

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It seems that most children, even from birth, have two personalities. They tend to change between the two depending on their company. Children tend to move back and forth between “I’m with mommy” mode and “mommy is not here” mode. Babysitters and family members have always told me that my children are less dependent and whiny when I am not around. Children tend to be more comfortable and relaxed around their main caregivers. Therefore, their attitude may be more outgoing, strong willed, or needy when they are with very familiar company. One comment that I hear very often from kindergarten … Continue reading →

Kids And Juice—Are They A Healthy Mix?

I love Jamba Juice. It’s a type of smoothie made from a concoction of real fruit, fruit juices, and either sherbet, frozen yogurt, plain yogurt or soymilk. Seems like a healthy combo, right? I thought so… and when I discovered my toddler daughter loved them just as much as her mommy I made sure to put Jamba Juice on the top of our snack-time list. Cue the squealing brakes. That practice halted a few months ago when I read one regular serving of the delicious drink contained more sugar than is recommended by the USDA to consume in one day. … Continue reading →