Parenting challenging kids is tough! We want their irritating behaviors to go away and when they don’t, we feel like a failure. What we forget is that with mental health issues, it's likely that their behaviors will continue to be challenging for all of their life.
So then, how do we define success in the midst of very challenging behaviors? We encourage you to take a moment and think about this for your family. What do you want for your child before they become an adult? What do you want your child to remember about you and your parenting?
Then listen to your parenting expert for very challenging kids, Dr. Alden, on how she defines success for families struggling with very challenging behaviors. (Note: the Family First Program is now called the Healthy Foundations Family Program)