As Spectrumites enter the Summer months and experience a long break from school. Parents and Spectrumites alike struggle to make use of the time. Thoughts of social skills groups, summer camps etc are tossed about. What is unfortunate about these suggestions is that they tend to involve others working with our Spectrumites in order to equip them with the skills needed to solve the problems of life.
In the never ending search to help our children develop the tools to prevent them from entering adulthood completely helpless. Parents often render themselves helpless by frequently leaving the skill building to others. I implore you as one parent to another to be the one to set the standard by becoming your child’s mentor. Learn the tools yourself! You spend the most time with your child and have the greatest opportunity to equip your child for life.
For this Summer I encourage you to begin by asking yourself the following questions:
1) What has your child learned about him/herself today in terms of his/her competence?
2) When your child speaks disrespectfully about him/herself how do you respond?
3) Do you require your child to ask for help or do you simply provide it for him/her?
4) While actively working to discipline your child through punishment and consequences, what methods do you use to teach Self-Discipline?
5) How much time do you spend teaching your child problem-solving?
For more strategies on precisely how to answer these questions CLICK HERE.
Explore The Possibilities
