You make the appointments. You drive your child each week. You hand over your credit card. But how do you really know if your child’s therapy is working. What should you look for? What are some red flags? Therapy can be time consuming and expensive, so it is important you know you are on the right track sooner rather than later!
Motivating Kids by Asking, “What is Anxiety or OCD Ruining for You?” It can be hard to motivate kids to work on anxiety or OCD. It can be a hard sell to tell them that the more they do hard things, the easier it will become. Anxiety or OCD can be demanding and convincing. So how are we supposed to motivate our kids to work […]
When I began my journey parenting kids with anxiety or OCD, it was a lonely experience – and I am an anxiety and OCD child therapist! I felt my judgement was questioned. I felt the diagnoses were questioned.I felt like my parenting was questioned.
To tell or not to tell. That is a common question I get asked by both parents and children alike. Is it a good idea for their friends to know they have anxiety or OCD? Could it be harmful?
Parenting a child with OCD can be overwhelming and lonely. The first Tuesday of every month, I am highlighting a member of the AT Parenting Community. We can learn from the real stories of others living a life, similar to ours. In these stories we can see our own.
Do I Tell My Child They have Been Diagnosed with Anxiety or OCD? Often one of the initial hurdles parents face when their child has been diagnosed with anxiety or OCD is what to tell their child. Do they even tell them at all? If they do, is it going to help or hurt the situation? I do have some strong opinions about this […]
Sometimes it just seems impossible. Beating anxiety or OCD seems like an insurmountable task that is not worth taking. This is especially true for our kids. When just getting them to do their homework or eat healthy is an uphill battle, how on earth can we encourage them to take steps towards their fear?
Helping Kids with Anxiety or OCD who have Holiday Overwhelm What can be wrong with lots of time off, plenty of parties, some pent up excitement and gift giving? Lots actually, especially if you are a child with anxiety or OCD. It is not unusual for kids to struggle a bit more during the holidays. The reason for this varies depending on the child’s […]
Anxiety and OCD can take its toll. It can be exhausting, overwhelming and traumatizing for the whole family. So, when your child starts to make some big improvements, it’s normal to be worried about how long it will last. It’s normal to doubt the progress. You might ask yourself, “Is this for real? Is this the new normal?”
If you really want to learn about OCD, one of the best ways to do it is by listening to the OCD Stories. The OCD Stories is a podcast, created and hosted by Stuart Ralph. He has interviewed hundreds of people with OCD and has brought a face and a narrative to what it is like to have a full life with OCD.
Sometimes OCD compulsions hide in the silence of the mind. Mental compulsions are often missed and are left unchecked. Parents will often ask me, “How can I stop my child from having mental compulsions.”
You are not alone. That is the main message from my new segment on the AT Parenting Survival Podcast called, Member Spotlight Segment.
I love the holidays. I mean LOVE them! But my three anxious kids can hit some pretty big bumps during the holiday season. In fact most kids who have anxiety or OCD hit a few bumps during this time of year.
We often think there is nothing we can do if our child doesn’t work on their anxiety or OCD. I often say, we are in the passenger seat and they are in the driver’s seat. But there is one thing, one HUGE thing we can do.
When people think of OCD they think of a “neat freak” or a “germaphobe.” Neither of which really sums up OCD. But one sub-type of OCD that is often misunderstood is Sensorimotor OCD.
