Kairos – What an amazing place for Chloe and how lucky Southern Oregon is to have such a great treatment center available for youth! It is such a great resource for families struggling and lost in our mental health system. They operate under the belief that kids are doing the best they can with the tools they have and if they’re misbehaving, there is typically an underlying reason. I’m always astounded at how many times we’ve been told that we must not be parenting right or that Chloe’s willful and sometimes inappropriate behavior is something she can control. Kids who struggle with a mental illness or are on the Autism spectrum know that they’re different and would happily change it if they could. Misbehavior is often bred out of necessity to survive, since they often lack the skills to effectively communicate and regulate emotions. And the dysfunctional parenting and household structure falls right in line in an attempt to maintain some peace and thwart continual crisis. As parents, we feel just as helpless and frustrated as our disabled child since “traditional” parenting tactics only serve to frustrate the child more and lead to an eventual shutdown or disastrous rage. Yummy lemonade goes to Kairos for their warm and helpful welcome today and their forward thinking approach to therapy, parenting and family communication. For more information, visit www.kairosnw.org.
