Hernandez says she learned it from a friend, who explained that if kids start to believe that they need silence to sleep, they won’t sleep when there’s no silence…and how many silent environments are there? As for advice she would give to other parents, Hernandez says whether you like it or not, the things that happen to you will show up in them. She adds to do your absolute best to handle what you need to handle in yourself and your past because your kids will bring it out of you. Hernandez knows firsthand that we come from hard places sometimes, some harder than others, and then we behave certain ways and we don’t really realize how much of that the kids pick up on. “It’s hard, but when you look at those faces, don’t give it to them,” emphasizes Hernandez. “Before I started on my healing journey, I was very controlling, my kids were very young when I started my healing journey.” She says she is grateful she got through most of her healing journey while her kids were young. When she started to notice that they couldn’t do anything right, that she was con- stantly on them, Hernandez says she realized it was anxiety of being a good parent and that she had to fix her own stressors. Even though she is a therapist, Hernandez says not everyone needs therapy to help them handle their past. Depending on where you are, who you are, it might not be accessi- ble or cost-effective. Any sort of community that can hold you in graceful and loving accountability will be beneficial. For parents with children who have ADHD, Hernandez says it’s really important that the family works together and not to target that child with all of the energy. “We do our best not to tell everyone we ever meet, ‘This is my daughter. She has ADHD.’ That is not who she is. It’s part of what makes her brilliant,” she explains. Hernandez says her family has found occupa- tional therapy very helpful for ADHD. She also recommends the books, Smart but Scattered and Raising Kids With Big Baffling Behaviors . RAPID FIRE QUESTIONS Favorite date night… movies Words that best describe your family… humor-filled Favorite genre of movie or television show… historical dramas Favorite food… cake
We can help, but you have to take the first step. We’re here for you. There are many effective ways to reduce stuttering. Doing nothing is not one of them.
THE S TUTTERING F OUNDATION A Nonprofit Organization Since 1947— Helping Those Who Stutter ®
www.StutteringHelp.org
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