      
Are Your Kids Driving You Nuts?
How to Avoid Devastating Parent Traps by James J. Jones, Ph.D.
Introduction
Mission Statement
Familyhood is dedicated to strengthening individuals, marriages
and family relationships by teaching the correct principles upon
which healthy and loving relationships are established.
Book Dedication
This book is dedicated to all those parents who have a Danny.
By the time Danny was 12 years old I had taught school, been a social worker
and counseled hundreds of families; and I had completed two years of postgraduate
studies in psychology.
My wife Lillie had graduated with a degree in sociology, and because we had
already been very successful in raising three older children, we had every reason to
feel optimistic and confident in our abilities to raise our forth child, little Danny.
Danny was such a delightful child. He was so smart and fun. He was good in
school and excelled in sports and music. I was his scout master and little league
pitching coach.
Then at age fourteen Danny was introduced to drugs by friends at church.
Everything changed. He became a different person: angry, hostile, disobedient, a
runaway, a thief. Danny became a very skilled liar. Nothing that I or Lillie had
learned worked to change him. He became more belligerent and distant.
Through this hellish ordeal we came to know how very little we really
understood about parenting a difficult child. We had grown smug raising the first
three relatively easy children. The years passed painfully, but somehow we all
survived. We learned how helpless parents feel when they are desperately trying to
"fix" a broken child.
Now, years later, this wonderful boy has become a responsible husband and
father. When Danny was ready, he changed his life. He did what he had to do to
overcome his drug problem. He paid the price and worked through his recovery on
his own. He married a beautiful and wonderful woman and has presented us with
two of the most precious grandchildren you could ever imagine. As deep as our
disappointments were and as painful as those experiences were, now our joy and
happiness over the recovery of this lost son is indescribable. It is a miracle, for
which we are eternally thankful.
Danny taught us our weaknesses by faithfully pushing every button he could
find. He just about drove us nuts! But…we have grown through our
disappointments, fears and struggles. We are grateful for this amazing and
challenging boy. Thank you, Danny, we love you!
|
Home | About Us | Products | Learning | Community
Familyhood Education Foundation, P.O. Box 28209, Santa Ana, CA 92799. 800-FIX-A-KID / 800-349-2543
© 1991-2003 Familyhood Education Foundation. All rights reserved.
|
|
