When you are a parent raising kids with anxiety or OCD you can encounter some awkward situations. Like what do you do when a close friend says ignorant things about your child’s anxiety or OCD. Or how do you handle sleepovers when you know your child might not make it through the night?
We are living in an ever changing world. Our kids are living in an ever changing world. This might be a scary notion to many, especially considering what is going on in our world right now.
But what if we had the capability of improving our child’s resilience? What if we could teach our kids to systematically move towards their fears instead of away from them. What if we could teach our kids how to build up their ability to be adaptable, flexible and thrive under challenging conditions.
Our kids are home indefinitely. Classes are cancelled. Parties, sporting events and extracurriculars – all gone for now. Many of our pantries look like we are waiting for a hurricane to hit.
So how are we supposed to help our kids not panic?
How are we supposed to help our kids develop a new routine and not go stir crazy?
How are we supposed to keep our own anxiety in check so it doesn’t rub off on our children?
In this monthly series on the AT Parenting Survival Podcast, I interview parents from the AT Parenting Community as part of our member spotlight. In this month’s episode, I talk to Tiffany as she shares with us her trials and tribulations of raising a child with OCD. She discusses how she learned her son’s tics were really OCD compulsions and the struggle she had finding a professional skilled in treating OCD.
Many of us fantasized what parenthood would look like way before we had children. Our ideas of parenthood might have been solidified in early childhood, as we tucked our baby doll in her toy crib. Or it may have been dreamt about the moment we knew we were about to become a parent.
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!
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.
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.
The 5 Most Common Mistakes Parents Make When Trying to Raise Kind Kids | With Nicole Black Most of us want kind kids. Who doesn’t? But there is an art to fostering and raising truly authentically kind people. It is now more important than ever to raise kind kids. Kids who won’t be afraid to stand up for what is right. Kids who are empathetic […]
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 […]
Health and anxiety have an intimate relationship. They love to hang out together. They love to work together. Anxiety can make you feel sick. Sickness can make you feel anxious. It can be a vicious duo that can wreak havoc in your child’s life.
Living with anxious kids requires a different kind of parenting. Sometimes it can feel exhausting. Sometimes it can feel frustrating. And sometimes it can feel inspiring and hopeful. It can be quite the rollercoaster ride.
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.
You are not alone. That is the main message from my new segment on the AT Parenting Survival Podcast called, Member Spotlight Segment.
