Even if your child does not have ADD, “Superparenting for ADD” is a must-read for parents of young children! The introduction alone is well-worth your time.
Though I’m dating myself for sure, reading “Superparenting” reminded me of a song in the Rogers & Hammerstein musical My Fair Lady. The song was titled “How to Handle a Woman”. The solution the lyrics offered? “Simply love her, love her, love her.” This may sometimes seem challenging for parents of an ADD child! But Halloway and Jensen see love as “the single most powerful tool you can use to draw out your child’s strengths”. I liked their suggestion to acknowledge a child at least once a day for something positive that he did.
The authors go on to provide more specific information and suggestions for parents, always emphasizing the positive with terms such as “strength-based”, “excellence”, and the “gift of ADD”. Also included is a description of Kathy Kolbe’s work on identifying natural, inborn strengths.
My only disappointment is that, in the chapter on schools, there is no mention of Montessori schools as appropriate learning environments for children with ADD. Montessori education is a developmental approach that honors the uniqueness of each child, while encouraging control of movement, organization, independence, responsibility, concentration, and respect for self, others, and the environment. Though I am definitely biased, I’d like to see more exploration by the ADD community into the benefits of Montessori education for children with ADD!
Nonetheless, “Superparenting” is a valuable addition to any parent’s bookshelf.
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