The Real Work’s blog is a publication of our Monthly Magic™ “newspaper,” science-backed, neuroaffirming news Child and Family Therapista at Our Collective. Click the link below to subscribe or scroll to read all our posts.
Helping or Enabling? Accommodating Neurodivergent Kids
Let’s say you’re asking your kid to brush their teeth and it's an immediate meltdown. You hold the line and insist...and 25 minutes later you’re exhausted and so is your kid...but you know they know how to brush. When our kids are attempting to navigate our expectations or are struggling with a task or demand, we as parents are faced with a tough judgement call: would helping or removing the demand support them, or would it interfere with their ability to develop independence? How do we tell?
This month I spoke with Real Work Therapist Janelle Stuvland, LPC, who works primarily with neurodivergent kids and parents here, to help unpack this dilemma and to learn what helps parents navigate this.