| If your child has ODD (oppositional defiant disorder) or | | | | effort to control you, plain and simple. Catering parents |
| bipolar, you're familiar with child behavior problems. If | | | | answer food complaints by making something the child |
| your child has signs of autism, ADHD or ADD | | | | prefers. The ungrateful child wins again. Next time he'll |
| (attention deficit disorder), Aspergers, or PDD-NOS | | | | complain more so that he can win more. Your child's |
| (Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise | | | | whining and complaining will end when you learn how |
| Specified), you may be seeing challenging behaviors. | | | | to provide his special needs. |
| Five Warning Signs of Challenging Child Behavior: | | | | 4. Argues. Everything is a battle, from when to wake |
| If you suspect that your child's difficult behavior is | | | | up, to what to wear, and when to go to bed. This |
| something more than just being a kid, these are the | | | | day-long string of quarrels and disputes is exhausting |
| warning signs of a full-fledged challenging child. | | | | and quickly erodes your relationship. Your child's |
| 1. Refuses to look up into your eyes. This is one of the | | | | arguing proves that he challenges your authority. When |
| early signs that your parent-child relationship is in | | | | he is confident in your authority, he will give up some of |
| trouble. He refuses to look up into your eyes because | | | | his need to set his own rules. |
| that gives you power. He doesn't trust you enough to | | | | 5. Is oppositional. You say now; your child says never. |
| give you that control. To test this, ask your child to sit | | | | Oppositional children challenge everything, your |
| beside you while you show him something, for | | | | requests, your rules, and your schedule. It's exhausting, |
| example, a book or picture. Ask a friend or older child | | | | and heart breaking, and can cause you to want to |
| to observe how your child looks at you. | | | | escape your child's tyranny. Who can blame you? |
| The solution is to mend your relationship. It is rare to | | | | If Your Child is Challenging, Listen Up. |
| find anyone who offers step-by-step advice on how | | | | If you're like 99.99% of parents of challenging children, |
| to do this. The first step is to learn and respect your | | | | you may be making innocent errors all day long that |
| child's special needs without getting emotionally | | | | actually make your child's behavior worse. Please don't |
| overwhelmed and without catering to his demands. | | | | blame yourself. You couldn't possibly have guessed. |
| When you learn how to mend your parent-child | | | | So you can forgive yourself right now. |
| relationship, your child will look up into your eyes with | | | | The five warning signs listed above reveal how ODD |
| respect. | | | | (oppositional defiant disorder) develops (65% of |
| 2. Refuses to learn from you. Even your simple efforts | | | | children with ADHD develop it). If your child has ODD, |
| to teach him how to hold a fork or comb his hair are | | | | or is developing it, his difficult behavior will get worse |
| refused. He has decided that you are not to be | | | | unless you take action. |
| trusted, and therefore he cannot learn from you. You | | | | Your child needs your specific help to stop these |
| can test this by asking your child to sit with you as you | | | | problem behaviors. He cannot do it on his own. |
| teach him something, for example, how to draw a tree. | | | | You Can Solve This. |
| If the battles begin, that's your warning. When you | | | | The good news is that ODD can be easily prevented |
| mend your parent-child relationship, your child will allow | | | | or minimized. The solution is easier than you think. If |
| you to teach him. | | | | you are seeing the warning signs that your child is |
| 3. Whines and complains. No matter how hard you try | | | | challenging and not just being a typical kid, I invite you |
| to please him, he always finds something to complain | | | | to use these parenting tips to improve his behavior and |
| about, for example, the food you prepare. This is an | | | | improve your family life. |