Kate,

Thank you for your comments…sounds quite difficult in your house! I appreciate that you are parenting differently than the way you were raised. That is so important to breaking the cycle of ineffective parenting. In your case, it sounds like your youngest son’s diagnosis and behavior are contributing a great deal to the way your other children are learning to cope. Most families will have both sides of the coin. Each child is different and has their own personality and way of viewing the world. I think what I was trying to say in the article is that we need to parent in a way that honors each child’s uniqueness without punishing at all, either physically OR psychologically! This is my mission in life, to help parents discipline their children effectively, without punishment. Children are not criminals, so why do we continue to mold them as if they are?