Hard times can lead us to life's greatest blessings if we are willing to see them. 

Loving parents of kids with health issues can unknowingly set up conditions in the home that create behavioral problems. This article will help you understand how to avoid the very big problem of "hostile dependency". 

Do you ever wonder how to raise children who are confident, respectful and responsible? Kids who eat right and take their medications all by themselves? Many parents rely on the rant, rave, rescue and remind approach to parenting. And while this might work in the short run, it won't in the long run- especially if your kids are teenagers! So how do children really learn responsibility? With the Five Essential E's! 

No one likes to be told they aren't doing something "right", especially when it comes to parenting. It's so very personal! We like to think that our way is the best way and what worked for our parents (and us) will work for our own kids. However, decades of research shows that there are many right and wrong ways to parent children. And when the stakes are so high with chronic illness and life and death matters, wouldn't you want to know if you are doing something "wrong"? 

In this article, we share several important tips for empowering teenagers to stay positive and hopeful even in the face of difficult life circumstances like chronic illness. These tips are helpful for all teens and are critical when teens face the additional stressors of life with illness. 

When a child has a chronic illness, it affects everyone in the family. Well siblings are especially vulnerable to the challenges of family life during this hard time. 

What is happiness and how do we have more of it in our lives? This short article gives us some ideas.

When teenagers have a chronic illness or special need, they may be harder to motivate fro a variety of reasons. Here are some tips that apply to all kids but are especially important when our kids face health challenges.

When times are hard, we can all use a little support. How you give, or receive, that support can affect relationships for years. Learn the do's and don'ts in our article about support.
 

  When we know where the bumps and potholes are in the road, it becomes a lot easier to avoid them. Parenting is no different. Read on for things to do, and not do, when raising a child with health issues.

Being an effective advocate for yourself and your child is critical. No one cares about your family like you do. But being a good advocate is a learned skill. Many people get "aggressive" mixed up with "assertive." This article describes how to be an effective advocate.

Here is a series of three articles that you will find helpful for getting your child's special needs met at school. Includes explanations of the different types of plans as well as practical tips for good communication with school administrators, teachers, and staff. 

As parents, it's good to be reminded that it's the "little" experiences in life that add up to shape and mold who our children ultimately become...

"Needing to be needed" can create turmoil in all of our relationships but it can be particularly hazardous territory when raising a child with special needs. 

With parenting, life is often full of surprises! Even though we don't know when and where "those moments" will hit, we can still be prepared by having a handful of effective, simple parenting tools available.

There is a growing amount of research that shows that certain parenting responses work better than others- particularly when a child has a chronic medical issue. Here are some research articles that discuss the important relationship between parenting styles, medical adherence and quality of life.  

Lisa Greene has written and collected an extensive library of helpful articles for parents and caregivers of children with cystic fibrosis including food issues, school challenges and 504 plans, communication, hospital stays, and lots more.  and lots, lots more  

When a child is newly diagnosed with a special need, parents understandably go through a swirl of emotion. Understanding what to expect, and the pitfalls to avoid, can help everyone to better cope with one of life's most challenging situations.

It can be challenging for parents and medical professionals to know what to say to motivate good self-care. Dr. Cline gives some guidelines and examples of how to discuss medical adherence with children and young adults.

Raising kids who take responsibility can be challening even under normal parenting circumstances. But with the presence of serious health issues, it can become a life-and-death situation if not handled effectively.

It’s natural to feel discouraged when going through life's challenges. However, both encouragement and discouragement are the most contagious of emotions. Effectively showing encouragement will help your children better cope with their special needs as well as build hope for the future.

Having a child with special needs can take sibling rivalry to a whole new level.  With awareness and purposeful parenting, siblings who fight each other can become siblings that support each other.  

Now that school is in "full-swing" your child might be getting some questions about his or her special needs. This article will give you some ideas about talking with schoolmates about your child.

Kids can be cruel when it comes to teasing and bullying. And when the teasing is about red hair or skinny legs, parents generally don't get too uptight about it. But when the teasing is about a child's special needs, many parents find themselves angry and at a loss about how to address the issue. This article will give parents practical tips for handling teasing and bullying.

One of the biggest parenting challenges is knowing how to communicate with kids about difficult issues. Whether it's a divorce, the birds and bees or facts about a serious illness, the communication skills are the same. This article will show you how to talk with your children about difficult issues without scaring them.

Statistics can either defeat us or inspire us to action.  Medical advances are occurring so rapidly that what might be life-threatening today will simply be a nuisance tomorrow.  So set your eyes on the hope of the future and enjoy life with your kids today. Don't let scary statistics rob your hope and joy!

Let's face it- kids with serious health issues can have a lot of problems that need to be solved. You can help your child become an effective problem solver with these simple steps. So, raise a problem solver!

This short article is the first in a series which will teach parents the tools to increase the odds that their children will choose to make good healthcare decisions and comply with medical requirements rather than rebel.

Kids’ lives are saved when they are protected by their parents. Kids’ lives are lost when they are over-protected by their parents. Dr. Cline addresses this critically important issue.

When can parents safely "just say no"? And how can parents still set limits without saying the word "No"?

We all want to raise happy children but ultimately a parent's job is to raise children who are prepared for the real world. But how? By guiding children to solve their own problems rather than ranting, raving and rescuing them when they make mistakes.  Read on...

What happens when parents have different disciplinary styles? This is a commonly asked question. Dr. Cline gives us some good answers in his short article about parenting styles.

We received several questions related to food issues. Dr. Cline answers them in this article about how parents can best help their children develop healthy attitudes around food and avoid potentially life-threatening ones.

Emily Perl Kingsley's well-loved essay has been read by parents around the world since it was first published in 1987. As a writer for Sesame Street for many years, she has brought much awareness, understanding and acceptance of people with disabilities.

A pediatrician describes why effective parenting skills are so critical to helping children with medical issues cope, thrive and inspire.

This is an excerpt from Chapter One. It explains the Love and Logic approach and why the concepts are essential for parents of children with special needs.

This article shows the complete Table of Contents from the book  Parenting Children with Health Issues.