Parenting Neurodivergent Children

Conversations with Dr. Jennifer

It’s tempting for us to use our children’s successes or failures to measure OUR success as parents.

But tangling ourselves up with our children this way is not only a recipe for disappointment and frustration (on both sides), it also stands in the way of REALLY loving and accepting our children for who they are.
The sooner we recognize how little control we actually have over our children, the sooner we can let go of the fantasy that they prove or disprove our sufficiency (and the sooner we can get to work ACTUALLY loving them). To love our children is to see and value them for the unique individuals they are and offer our best to them.
As humbling and refining of a practice parenting is, it is even more so for those who face the unique challenges and gifts of raising a child with special needs.

In this NEW episode of Navigating the Spectrum, Dr. Finlayson-Fife joins Michelle Portlock to discuss her personal experience with parenting a neurodivergent child. The discussion covers the importance of compassion (for yourself, your spouse, your child, and your circumstances), and thoughts about how parents can work together to reduce anxiety / stress, improve communication, and foster a nurturing, supportive relationship with each other and their child(ren).

**You can learn more about Dr. Finlayson-Fife's How to Talk To Your Kids About Sex Course HERE**