Name: How to meet your child's difficult behavior with compassion
Uploaded: 2023-08-21T14:38:49Z
Duration: 17 min 19 s
Description: Yvonne Newbold's son, Toby, is one of the millions of young people living with a disability. Parenting Toby has offered her some lessons on how to help children move from anxiety-led behavior towards happier times. Drawing on her personal experience, she outlines some of the most effective and actionable of these strategies -- starting with a dash of curiosity, kindness and creative thinking.

Yvonne Newbold: How to meet your child's difficult behavior with compassion

How to meet your child's difficult behavior with compassion

Yvonne Newbold's son, Toby, is one of the millions of young people living with a disability. Parenting Toby has offered her some lessons on how to help children move from anxiety-led behavior towards happier times. Drawing on her personal experience, she outlines some of the most effective and actionable of these strategies -- starting with a dash of curiosity, kindness and creative thinking.

Strict discipline only escalated anxiety-led outbursts in a child with profound disabilities, while creative kindness brought relief and progress. Years of judgment from others left the parent feeling broken, yet new strategies grounded in curiosity and empathy sparked lasting change. Using songs and play in hospital visits, and focusing on understanding rather than controlling, transformed both the parent and child’s experiences. Over 2,000 families have seen their children thrive with this approach, challenging the belief that difficult behavior is a sign of poor parenting.