The Lives in the Balance Podcast

Lots of territory covered on today's program, most of it related to things that can go awry when parents are trying to solve problems collaboratively. Here's the good news: with some minor adjustments in strategy, things can start going a whole lot better.

Parenting is really hard, but it's especially hard if you're the parent of a child with social, emotional, and behavioral challenges.  There's so much advice being thrown your way, a lot of it telling you to be more firm, more consistent, and more diligent with the rewards and punishments. If all those sticker charts, time-outs, screaming matches, arguments have you feeling like a lot of parents d...

A lot of territory was covered on this program, as several parents called in with questions and Dr. Greene responded to questions sent by email as well.  But the key theme was established by the first caller:  if solving problems collaboratively is working for your child, there's no reason to stop doing it. 

Parents often say that the unsolved problems setting in motion challenging episodes in their kids are unpredictable. But that's not exactly so.  Because Plan B is most effective when it's used proactively, it's crucial to transform the seemingly unpredictable into the predictable. 

On today's Parents Panel, one of our Panel members told us about her recent visit with her behaviorally challenging son, who is now a young adult. He's doing really well...perhaps evidence that Plan B (and a lot of patience) can do a kid and his parents a lot of good, and certainly evidence of the fact that development has its own time-line that often can't be rushed.

On today's program, Dr. Greene spent some time talking with the dad of a child whose aggressive, violent behavior has been reduced dramatically by various medications.  The take-home message: take advantage of the lull so as to get good at Plan B...because, if the goal is for the child to be medication-free someday, something is going to have to replace the meds.

Parenting is really hard, but it's especially hard if you're the parent of a child with social, emotional, and behavioral challenges.  There's so much advice being thrown your way, a lot of it telling you to be more firm, more consistent, and more diligent with the rewards and punishments. If all those sticker charts, time-outs, screaming matches, arguments have you feeling like a lot of parents d...

On today's program, Dr. Greene offered his thoughts on the tragedy that took place three days earlier in Newtown, Connecticut, and on the role that collaboration and empathy can play in reducing the likelihood of such tragedies.

Two primary questions were covered on today's program.  Can a mom change the lenses she's wearing so as to better help her adopted adolescent daughter? Can another mom solve problems collaboratively with not one but two very active, impulsive kids? Well, it's not going to be easy...

Parenting a challenging child is hard, but it can be even harder during the holidays.  The Parents Panel -- along with a caller -- has some guidance to help you get through it all. This program is sponsored by Lives in the Balance (www.livesinthebalance.org)

Lots of questions answered on today's program, but there was one key theme at the end:  People -- kids and adults -- don't scream if they're confident their concerns will be heard and addressed. 

Several different topics were discussed on today's program...among them, Dr. Greene received a call from a dad whose fourth grade child has been suspended from school...yet again. What should he do? That's what they talked about.

Lots of different topics covered on the Parents Panel today, including things parents can do to help schools transform school discipline...but a big part of the discussion focused on what it feels like to receive constant reminders from school that things are going poorly with your child.

Your child isn't the only one lacking skills...and s/he's not the only one learning new skills through Plan B either!

Unsolved problems can be hard to word...but if you want your child to respond to your efforts to gather information in the Empathy step of Plan B, some precision on the wording can be helpful. And that's not all Dr. Greene covered on today's program!

The Parents Panel covered lots of territory today, including the pearls of wisdom Panel members wish they'd been provided before they began their long journeys with their behaviorally challenging kids.

On this program, Dr. Greene spent some time talking with a mom whose son is diagnosed with ADHD, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and Tourette's disorder...a very tough combination. How can she (and her son's teacher) figure out which challenging behaviors her son can control?

After a summer hiatus, Dr. Greene responded to questions today, and there were some good ones! How do you know you're using Plan B? What if your co-parent isn't on board with CPS?  What do you do once your child is already in the midst of an explosion? Answers, of course, were provided!

In this first program of the season, the Parents Panel tackled the very tough issue of bullying.  But not bullying at school...bullying at home.  

On this last radio program until the fall, Dr. Greene answered some email and focused in particular on what might be going awry in a mom's attempt to use Plan B with her son.  Back in the fall!

On this program, a mom called in seeking help on her son's difficulties tolerating frustration during little league baseball games...but the guidance she was provided would help on other unsolved problems as well.

As the caller on today's program has discovered, one of the hardest parts of getting started with Collaborative Problem Solving is identifying specific unsolved problems (instead of challenging behaviors). But she seems ready to tackle that one now!  

Dr. Greene's guest on today's program was Robbyn Peters Bennett from the US Alliance to End the Hitting of Children (www.endhittingusa.org)...and this is one you'll want to listen to.

Well, this was our last Parents Panel until September, but it was a good one!  

Just because an unsolved problem doesn't set in motion a challenging episode every time doesn't mean it's not predictable.