Mom Kendra Rogers on Viewing Neurodiverse Children Through the Lens of Their Gifts, Not Their Struggles
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Overview: In this episode, I talk with mom Kendra Rogers on finding the strengths of neurodiverse children (rather than focusing on their weaknesses) to help them overcome their struggles.
Excerpt #1: "We just let them, you know, be their own people, and watch them and figured out, ‘Oh, you really like this’. Let’s feed it. I love this quote so much. I’ve spent many hours thinking about how to lift my neurodiverse child up (and frankly, all of my kids). In my home, my children need their cups filled. And that means recognizing and putting effort into what they’re good at. It’ll help their confidence and self-worth. Not to mention, it helps ME view them in a more positive light, despite our struggles with behavior.
Excerpt #2: "You get to the root and then, again, you don’t stop there. You meet with your child and you say, ‘Okay. We need to solve the studying-for-your-test piece, so what can we do (WE do) to help you accomplish that. Not, what kind of punishment as a parent can I pass down upon you as the child who has failed. But how can we work together to meet this goal? And you workshop solutions with your child.” This is an amazing segment. If you’ve never read The Explosive Child by Dr. Ross Greene - this is the framework of the book. It’s collaborative parenting, and I’ve tried his techniques before (years ago). They were involved, but really quite awesome. It’s worth a look! You can grab the book HERE!
Excerpt #3: "While they are in my safe care, I get to hold their hand and be their safety net and allow them to fail, where I can catch them and lift them back up. Because when they get out into the cruel world and they’re not constantly under my wing, I’m not going to be able to do that." I love this! I think many parents battle in their minds over whether they should “prepare” their children for the adult world or become a safe space for their kids to just be. This rings even more true for neurodiverse children.
Your turn: What are your neurodiverse children’s strengths? DM me on Instagram @on.the.hard.days and share your thoughts with me! You are a rockstar, Mama!