Nancy Thomas and the great people at Families By Design have done some great research on interventions that work wonders for shaping behavior and helping kids to heal. As part of Nancy’s training, “Advanced Parenting of Challenging Children,” which Forever Homes offers every year, we hand out a list of the most common negative behaviors that drive parents crazy. We call these behaviors “ancient water tortures.” Here they are. Click on the link for some suggested ways to deal with those behaviors.

If you have never taken one of Nancy’s courses you need to know that it is pretty much required knowledge for anyone working with traumatized kids. Check out Nancy’s Schedule, or see if the course is being offered in your area.

• Food, picky eaters
• Abusing Others
• Anger
• Arguing
• Bathing/Showering
• Bedtime Issues
• Car, Driving
• Car, Manners
• Chores
• Door Alarm, Setting off
• Drugs and Alcohol
• Dumb Questions
• Excretions
• Eye Contact
• Eye Rolling
• Feces
• Fire Starting
• Fit Throwing
• Flatulence
• Flipping the Bird
• Food Hassles
• Food issues
• Food, amount
• Food, Hiding
• Food, not eating
• Food, stealing
• Friends
• Hair & Clothing
• Hygiene
• Illness, Claiming Fake