The Essential Guide to Raising Complex Kids with ADHD, Anxiety, and More

I do not normally read non-fiction books. I found some good information in this book. I really liked reading it. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher or author via NetGalley, booksirens, or goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review, and I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

eARC provided by NetGalley , thank you to NetGalley and Fair Winds Press, all opinions are my own.

“Simply put, kids who are wired to be impulsive, clingy, distracted, disorganized, fearful, emotionally unregulated, and/or hyperactive can wreak havoc in the life of a family, requiring a great deal more than normal parenting. “

The Essential Guide to Raising Complex Kids with ADHD, Anxiety, and More by Elaine Taylor-Klaus (spoiler free reviews)
Standalone
Publish Date: 1st September 2020
Cover Rating: 6/10
Adult – Non-Fiction - Self-Help – Complex Kids

The short synopsis:
Guide kids of all ages on their path to independence and success! The Essential Guide to Raising Complex Kids is a wake-up call, a clear path for action, and a message of inspiration, providing a reality-based recipe for raising complex kids, while not making yourself (or your family) crazy in the process.

This is important:

“Beyond the extra burden of supporting and advocating for special needs, there is an emotional load on parents of complex kids that is difficult to articulate, and it carries the heaviest weight of all – worry.”

I struggled to not quote this entire book because so much of it resonated with me. Every page I was like: yes, YES, YEEES. I even got a little emotional, it’s not an easy journey for parents that have complex needs to raise complex kids and my own issues have me questioning my own parenting skills every day.

Having no experience or support left me feeling very alone when my 8 year old was diagnosed with ADHD last year and I also have a 7 year old that struggles with anxiety. It’s a long and complex story about that entire situation and I was and have been pretty lost throughout it and this book made me realize I can make a change and empower myself and my family to be the best we can be.

In many ways this book has changed my perspective , to see things through my children's eyes. There were a lot of eye –opening moments in general. It has also really spurred me into doing more independent research and empowering my family as a unit.

'Parent like a coach.'

I would have liked more scientific evidence and references, as a self –dates and facts, and books and studies always help convince me .There were minor religious references , nothing too uncomfortable. But the author did mentioned Dolores Umbridge and HP characters which was a cute contemporary touch.

Who is this book for?
THIS BOOK IS FOR EVERYONE. Parents to be, teachers, parents with or without complex kids. This can teach you a lot about how you raise your children and about how you view other complex children and their parents. I beg of you to read it or something similar to this.

Now is the time to redefine what a family should be and who’s expectations you are trying to live up to. What is important is being that support structure for your child and guiding them though life to adulthood with the best tools, this book really shows you the guidance, new tools and explains all the steps. I loved it.

Although it is often said that babies do not emerge from the womb equipped with a manual, this excellent book explaining effective strategies for the parenting of complex children may just be the manual that we all thought did not exist. The book provides common sense methodology for solving problems that often arise and relies upon short case studies to explain and delineate the challenges and issues that many parents confront. The book also shares anecdotes from the author's own personal experience of parenting three complex children of her own. The book's coaching based, problem-solving model is compassionate, logical and straightforward, and is designed to help virtually all parents facing parenting challenges because, as the author points out, parents of complex children are far more alike than they are different. The book contains helpful graphics and bullet points, and is extremely well organized. Finally, the book contains thought provoking discussion questions throughout. I give this excellent title my strongest recommendation.