“Raising the Challenging Child” by Karen Doyle Buckwalter, Debbie Reed, Wendy Lyons Sunshine

“Raising the Challenging Child: How to Minimize Meltdowns, Reduce Conflict, and Increase Cooperation” by Karen Doyle Buckwalter, Debbie Reed, Wendy Lyons Sunshine

This book is divided into 3 parts: Be a Leader, Dig Deeper, and Prepare for Success. “Be a Leader” focuses on the parent, “Dig Deeper” focuses of the child, and “Prepare for Success” lays out steps for child and parent to help reduce trigger points.

First, I was very impressed with the three authors experiences and insight to this topic. Alot of times we don’t want to “label” or even think that our child(ren) can be difficult or challenging. But the reality is, that every child is different and will respond to different methods of praise and discipline. It can be very frustrating and overwhelming when a child doesn’t respond or interact the way we as parents want or expect them too.

In the introduction it says, “We hope you will view this book not as a checklist but as a toolbox filled with thirty tools that have proven effective even in the most difficult situations. You won’t need every tool for every child, but these lessons will help prepare you for a range of common situations…You can read the lessons in order or head straight to the one that speaks to a current challenge you may be facing.”

I have 2 boys and I have been a fitness blogger and group fitness instructor (working with women and kids) for over 7 years now so I LOVED chapter 23: “Every two hours, feed and water the kids”. It is SO true that as our kids get older (leaving the baby and toddler stage) we sometimes forget the basic needs of a child (eating and sleeping) and how often they need to be taken care of. Parents and children get too involved and don’t want to stop doing an activity or project which could then result in dehydration, moodiness, grumpy, snarky behavior. The chapter offers suggestions and solutions to this issue which fortunately I have tried and do on a regular basis-and it works!

I think this book would be VERY helpful, whether you feel like you have a “challenging” child or not. It’s filled with lots of practical day to day advise that every parent needs to hear and at least try once.

I received a copy of this book complimentary for blog and social media review. All opinions are my own.

About the Book:
What’s the worst you’ve ever faced as a parent? An all-out tantrum at the mall? A son who won’t take out his earbuds to listen to you? A daughter who’s failing at school and won’t do her homework? A teen who constantly breaks curfew? A call from the police? Whatever you’re dealing with, Raising the Challenging Child will help.

Building on their work at Chaddock, a nonprofit organization that has worked with some of the most challenging kids in the nation for more than 150 years, the authors empower frustrated parents with practical tips and real-life examples on how to

– minimize behavioral meltdowns
– reduce conflict
– increase cooperation
– promote healthy attachment
– improve family relationships

The strategies they share work both for the child who is going through a difficult phase brought on by life disruption or trauma, and for the child who faces chronic struggles. Parents, teachers, and those who work with children and youth will find positive, practical steps they can start taking today in order to understand and address the baffling behavior of the child under their care.

https://amzn.to/3aLrrXY

About the authors:
Karen Doyle Buckwalter, MSW, LCSW, is director of program strategy at Chaddock in Quincy, Illinois. She serves on the board of directors’ advisory board of the Theraplay® Institute in Chicago and has trained and consulted at family behavioral health organizations and youth foster care centers in the US, the UK, Australia, Denmark, and beyond. In addition to her degrees, Karen completed a two-year marriage and family therapy training program and 500-plus hours in diverse modalities, including Theraplay, Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) ®, and other attachment, trauma, and developmental approaches. Karen also hosts a weekly podcast, Attachment Theory in Action.

Debbie Reed is president and CEO of Chaddock. Currently engaged in doctoral studies, she has also played a leadership role in child- and family-serving organizations at the state and national levels, including the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services’ Child Welfare Advisory Committee, the CEO council of the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities, and the national board of the United Methodist Association of Health and Welfare Ministries. In addition, she trains and consults with organizations on topics related to nonprofit leadership. Debbie also writes a weekly leadership blog, Reed About Leadership.

Wendy Lyons Sunshine is an award-winning writer and journalist. She is coauthor of The Connected Child.