Some of most creative, successful people in world’s history are bipolar. (one small list of such people can be found at: http://www.bipolarsurvivor.com/famous.html) There have been rulers of countries with it, artists, authors, astronauts, musicians, ball players, financiers. The goal of parenting is to help assist our children to learn coping skill that they will need to be successful at their level in world around them as adults. Your child may choose to be next Nobel Prize winner, Secretary General of United Nations, or they actually may just have similar goals on an equally grand scale.

Keep in mind that adults, who are clinically required medicine to help curb mania, often go off their meds because they enjoy added energy and creativity. They like feeling euphoria, accomplishment, and a higher sense of capability and esteem. Yet un-channeled, that high energy can run rampant, and create a wake of problems left behind them which will increase slower, depression side of mood cycle.

When our children are young, we can take time to help them identify these moods and teach them subtly-- some ways to harness that energy, and utilize it in appropriate ways that still align with their desires. The following suggestions are modifications from book The Ups and Downs of Raising a Bipolar Child by Judith Lederman and Candida Fink, M.D. These suggestions work well in state where creativity & thinking out of box is identifiable. This is not intended to treat other phases of mania such as rage, or extreme irritability & negativity.

Author: Patricia Gatto

Copyright 2004. All Rights Reserved.

Category: Parenting/Children's Social Issues

Word Count (including Resource Box and References): 875 --------------------------------------- "You Make Me Sick" and other things Parents Say in Anger Patricia Gatto ©2004 All Rights Reserved. Joyful Productions

Maryann is so focused she's blind. She's slipped over edge of responsibility and forgot real reason she is working so hard. It's for her daughter.

Being a single parent isn't easy. Between working, grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning and homework, there isn't much time left in day. It's a heavy burden to be sole supporter of a young child. But when pressures and tensions are so great that harmful words spill out like bitter pills, isn't it time to stop and take inventory?

"Clean your room or I'm gonna kill you!" "If you don't do your homework right now, I'll break your neck!" "Just leave me alone, I've had a rough day."

These statements came from a woman who loves her daughter and she's working hard to provide for her. If you asked Maryann, she'd say she would do anything in world for her child. But why can't she see that respectful communication conveys love more than a new pair of shoes ever will? And why does she have to be reminded to treat her child with respect?

Maryann isn't alone. Life is frustrating. We've all heard parents, married, single or otherwise, speak to their children in anger. As adults, we've all rolled our eyes at dramatic threats, knowing full well they have no intention of being carried out. But does a child know these are simply dumb words spoken in frustration? Does a child know that violent threats of bodily harm are hollow?

Whether over top displays of drama are blurted in anger, or merely used to snap a child to attention, results are unhealthy and damaging.

When little Billy tells a classmate he is going to kill him over a broken crayon, where do you think he learned that response from? And in today's climate, do you think anyone would consider it just an innocent statement from an innocent child? Billy would be sent to principal's office on spot. And if not, he would certainty be called down after victim of his harsh words went home and told his parents and they reported it to school.