by Melody DeLuca Quite a few of you know my story and journey with NACD, but for those of you who do not here it is in brief: We started our journey with NACD in December 2008. At the time my son Grant, who was five years old, was completely non-verbal, developmentally delayed, a flight risk, very stimmy, and had … Read More
by Bob Doman “All great change in America starts at the dinner table.” — Ronald Reagan If your children are infants, toddlers, of school age, or adults, or somewhere in between, family meals can be incredibly important. Whether our motivation is teaching a skill (such as eating or participating in meal preparation) or fostering family dynamics (such as communicating … Read More
Click above to watch the video Please take a look at these videos (above) of my 26 month old grandson, Lachlan, doing one of his chores and learning another. This first one is a chore that he owns that helps his dad out in his office. As I have often stated, chores are the route to independence, learning about … Read More
by Bob Doman What is the difference between a parent or a caregiver trying to push a child to take a developmental step and a child being driven to take that step? For all children it is very significant; but for the developmentally challenged child it can literally be the difference between success and failure. If you observe the changes … Read More
by Bob Doman Isaac is a young man who we are very proud of, as we are of his mom and dad who have done such a great job with him. Isaac started with us ten years ago when he was seven. In the past ten years we have had the privilege of working with Isaac’s parents to help him … Read More
Parent Power or Powerless Parents by Bob Doman My son won’t do what I tell him to do. Mom said, “Stop it!” for the ten-thousandth time. Why should I? The kids are out of control. You’re not the boss of me. Susie won’t sit at the table and finish her meal. I can’t get him to do anything. Many … Read More
Why might teaching your child to clean toilets be more helpful than teaching them algebra? I love this video. All schools and parents should learn from this school. I have been extolling the importance of teaching chores and giving children responsibilities for decades. Sadly, parents and schools seem to do a poorer job of this every year. Many parents and … Read More
Toddler Issues a Chore Challenge August 2017 Ogden, Utah Twelve-month-old Arielle is challenging other children to raise the bar and get to work. Today’s children are doing fewer chores than ever before, and as a result we should not be shocked to realize that many teens and young adults have missed some very important lessons. Responsibility Having specific jobs that … Read More
by Lyn Waldeck Today’s spotlight is on a fine young man who I have known since 1996. Yes, that is correct, 1996. I have been with NACD long enough now to have several adults that I have seen since they were infants, Nicolas Cooke being one of them. When I think of individuals that I have the greatest amount of … Read More
by Bob Doman From our tiniest children, who lack the awareness that they can initiate movement, language, or even play, to our teens and young adults who have not established an identity, a sense of worth, or self-respect and who feel entitled, often one of the most significant missing ingredients is ownership of chores. Contributing, having chores, jobs, and responsibilities … Read More