Parenting Pandora

Parenting an adopted child with Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) can be an immense struggle. The child's behavior is often incomprehensible. This booklet explores the child's motivation while providing hints and tips to smooth the path.Children with RAD usually come across as highly controlling and manipulative. They despise change and will throw violent tantrums completely disproportionate to the situation. They never seem to learn from consequences, making it appear they have no sense of cause and effect. In addition, they have an incessant need for attention which can never be met.Approaching the children using traditional parenting techniques backfires and their behavior gets worse. Things typical children respond immediately to, such as ignoring a negative behavior, escalates children with RAD.Parents feel it is their fault. They are overwhelmed and exhausted. Friends may have fallen away, outside family members insist the parents need to either be more firm, or just let up on the child a little.This booklet explores the motivation behind the behavior of a child with Reactive Attachment Disorder and explains why traditional parenting does not work, and alternative techniques are described. It is not the fault of the adoptive parent that their child has RAD, nor is it the fault of the child.The story of Pandora comes from a Greek myth. Pandora received a box as a wedding gift. She innocently opened it, only to release all the evils of the world. In the end, all that remained in the box was hope.