School refusal is the most arduous test I've encountered while parenting my mentally ill son. Middle school is difficult for most adolescents. Seventh grade was the worst year for me and my son Bob. That is the year he refused to go to school.

Stress is common for any parent, especially when parenting a child with mental illness. But did you know that stress affects kids, too? According to BrownieLocks.com, April 16th is National Stress Awareness Day. The Center for Disease Control states that "stress is a condition that is often characterized by symptoms of physical or emotional tension. It is a reaction to a situation where a person feels threatened or anxious. Stress can be positive (e.g., preparing for a wedding) or negative (e.g., dealing with a natural disaster)." Kids experience stress due to school, home and other on-going events. But, in my work I have found that kids with mental illness are very sensitive to stress. Even the positive stress that most kids deal with at home or in school. Here are some tips to help you to parent a child with a mental illness dealing with stress.

Advocating for your special needs child is challenging for many reasons. Some of the parents that I work with have great difficulty with stepping out of their comfort zones to get the best services for their children. One parent I worked with in the past was so anxious that she had trouble seeing that she had the power to make decisions for her son’s well-being.  So, I thought of tips for parents on how to advocate for their children.

According to Brownielocks.com, January is National Mentoring Month. Mentoring can be such a positive influence on any child, but especially a child dealing with mental illness. My own positive experience with a mentor has led me to a career of helping other children. Mentoring can hold many benefits for your child. Check out how I benefited from having a mentor.

Proud moments can be hard to come by when parenting a child with mental illness. Sometimes, the opportunity to see them is hard because our own view as a parent keeps us from doing so. We get caught up in the negative behaviors that our children show and it can be difficult to see the small victories. Then we miss the chance to show them how proud we are of them.

What’s a free pass, you say? A free pass is something that allows children to enjoy the holidays without worrying about being punished for negative behavior. Some of the parents I’ve met as a professional feel that it’s okay to take away holiday gifts from kids as punishment for negative behavior. These are parents that tend to take away or punish kids for every little negative thing they do and keep a record of negative behaviors.  The truth is kids want to behave well and want to please their parents. The holiday treats can  motivate kids to give positive behavior. If you want to have a great holiday season, try these three tips.

Hiya parents! As school has been in session a little over a five weeks, I wanted to share some tips to help your special needs child in the classroom. One of the biggest challenges parents of children with mental illness have is dealing with issues in the classroom. How can you possibly work on something with your special needs child if you're not even in the classroom? Well, these are tips that can help you help your special needs child.

Back to school time has rolled around again and it's time to prepare your special needs child for the school year. In my post about goal-setting, I shared how Bob created his own goal and made a plan (with my help) to get it done. But, I'd also like to share some tips on how to get your special needs child ready for a successful school year.

Summer's end is always bittersweet for me. It is probably my favorite time of the year. I still carrying the excitement for the warm weather, vacations and happy bliss that comes with summertime. So just as Bob laments back-to-school time, I feel a little sad when the end of summer comes.

Goal-setting? It is possible. Parenting a child with mental illness comes with many challenges, not least of all hitting milestones and teaching responsibility.  As summer's end is fast-approaching, you've probably thinking about getting ready for the school year. Or even dreading it. Another year filled with calls from the teacher, therapist, etc about your child's mental health and behavioral issues. And while this may be a reality for you, setting and accomplishing goals with your special needs child can be a reality, too.