Posted: 11/16/2010 | Radio Show	Comments
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Join me tomorrow, November 17th at 4 PM ET, as I interview my good friend Karen Bierdeman on "The Gift Of Parenting A Challenging Child: Conscious Parenting In Times of Stress"

Register for FREE here.

Karen Bierdeman, an expert on parenting strong willed kids AND on overcoming toxic mom guilt, will talk about how parenting a difficult child can lead to more self-awareness and joy (really!). In this call, you will learn:

- The difference between healthy and toxic guilt
- Easier ways to parent challenging kids
- Why being the parent of a challenging child is a gift and how to leverage that gift to greater happiness
-Tips on what to say and do in the "heat of the moment" when your child refuses to do what you say
-The gifts of having a challenging child


I have asked Karen to share an article so you can better get to know her, please enjoy and we hope you will join us tomorrow.

The Gift Of Parenting A Challenging Child: Conscious Parenting In Times of Stress
By Karen Bierdemanwww.theguiltfreemom.com

Most people don't think of the words "parenting" and "easy" as going together. After all, raising small human beings into productive, healthy adults is a daunting enough task. Add in the pressures that exist in daily life such as going to work, getting meals on the table, driving kids to activities and helping with homework and you have a recipe for stress. Now add in the additional pressure of parenting a challenging, strong-willed child, and what results is a tired, overwhelmed parent. Don't forget to add in the embarrassment that many parents feel about having a child who says, "No! I won't" in public and then follows up on his promise with a loud tantrum.

So where's the "gift" in parenting a child like that? Well, it doesn't come wrapped in the easiest of packages to open, but it's there. And it's right before your eyes.

It's in how your child pushes your buttons and how you respond.

Sound too simple? It is simple. But it's not easy because it requires a choice from you, and one that doesn't come easily to most people. Anytime your buttons are pushed as a parent, you get to decide how you want to respond. Yelling, the silent treatment, giving in, shutting down emotionally--these are the ways that many of us handle it when we feel annoyed or angry. You aren't a "bad" parent if you do these things--you are a very human parent! However, those responses not only don't help your child in the long run, they don't help you, either.

Because in that very moment that you are annoyed, frustrated or angry (or all of those!) you have a choice: to remain awake and aware (and decide how you want to ACT) or to fall asleep to your own and your child's growth (to REACT based on stress, etc.). Because challenging children push our buttons much more frequently than their more easy-going counterparts, we have many opportunities for growth: sometimes a lot more than we'd like!

The key is to know WHAT to do in those stressful parenting situations, as well as what NOT to do. Want to find out more? You can! Listen to Dr. Jennifer interview me on Wednesday, November 17th, at 4:00 p.m. EST.