You think you have tried everything, yet your child’s behaviour is still out of control. You cannot throw in the towel, so where do you turn? The book, Help! My Child Real Hardears: Managing Difficult Behaviours in Children by Clinical Psychologist, Dr. Dahlia Gibson, provides a road map for managing difficult behaviours in children. The official book launch is scheduled for May 23rd, 2015 at the Frank Collymore Hall at 6:00pm.

Over the years while working in Barbados, Dr. Gibson observed that most parents who sought psychological help for their children expressed the same sentiment repeatedly. “Throughout the years I have heard it time and time again … “my child real hardears, I don’t know what else to do,” and they (parents) feel powerless to effect any change.”

An excerpt from the book:
“You believe that you are supposed to know how to make your child behave, and yet you can’t. Your child is out of control and people blame you for his behaviour, “de child just hardears”. You tend to feel guilty, ashamed and very alone. More often than not you have tried all that you can and have reached the end of your line. It is the worst feeling in the world. The truth is, you are not supposed to know everything about being a parent–it is a skill you have to learn, you did not get the manual at birth but you do what you can. So while there is no one “right way” to parent, there are more effective ways to handle your child’s behaviour.”

The psychologist pointed out the impact that lack of parenting skill or poor parenting skills can have on children’s overall development. “Research has shown that discipline or rules without relationship only leads to further rebellion,” Dr. Gibson explained. “The lack of parenting skill or poor parenting skills puts children at risk everyday for abuse and neglect and can significantly impact on their overall development – social, educational, psychological and physical.”

Having honed a passion for working with families and children grew while training at Jackson Memorial Hospital and the Miami Dade Elementary School System in Miami, Florida as well as working as a psychologist in the foster care system in New York City; Dr. Gibson continues her work in these areas in Barbados and across the region. She aims to raise awareness of the social care issues faced by families and to be an advocate for legislative reform to address these concerns.

Help! My Child Real Hardears! will be available on May 23rd, 2015 at book stores in Barbados, the Caribbean and online at www.amazon.com, where an e-Book will also be accessible.