By Sarah Chana Radcliffe
"That child would lose his head if it wasn't attached to his neck!" Misplacing and even losing personal property is human, but some kids seem to "lose everything." In these youngsters, it isn't a matter of carelessness; it's a brain glitch. Reprimands (as you've probably noticed) don't fix the problem. Tricks and strategies are needed as a brain work-around. For instance, teach your child to say things out loud like, "I'm putting my homework on the window ledge" or "I'm putting my gloves in my schoolbag." Do some research and collect a bunch of ideas from the special needs community and from professional organizers - creating easy-to-use systems will help. But when there are inevitable mishaps, skip the lectures. The only thing your child will get out of them is a relationship bruise.
Follow the rules in order to reduce conflict...
Conflict is part of family life. The trick is to minimize the harm it can do. This can be accomplished with some agreed-upon family rules such as no name-calling or insults, no raised voices or aggression and no walking out. You can make up the rules you need for your own family based on what is producing the most stress in your home. Remember to add in some positive rules too, such as repeat back before answering and try to find solutions that work for everyone at the same time.
