Many parents have children who are really hard to spend time with. I know because I see these kids interact with their parents in my office. And I get an earful from parents who have children of all ages with serious problems like severe ADHD, bipolar mood disorder, oppositional-defiant disorder, personality disorders, and different types of addictions.

Parents of children with any of these issues really struggle to communicate positive messages to their kids because they’re just tough to be around. So what’s a parent to do? Are they off the hook when it comes to making sure that their kids feel loved and accepted? No, of course not. Parents need to find a way to cope with their child’s illness AND give the child a sense that they are lovable, likeable people. This is no small feat.

Children who suffer from difficult disorders still have deep feelings and struggle with all of the same issues that otherwise healthy kids do. They, too, need to have a healthy self esteem, to know that their parents love them no matter what and to learn while they are growing up that their parents always accept them. The struggle for parents is twofold. First,…