KIDS ON THE COUCH

Little Billy has learned at a tender age how unsafe it is for him to be himself. The sad part is that his “problems” could have been resolved (and finally were) by such simple solutions as providing the smaller classrooms and more intimate social environments that are more comfortable and rewarding to many of us. A parent who was willing to see a child (instead of the institution) as healthy and developing in a normal way might have made such a choice, without the trauma of years of therapy. Clinical social worker Helen Reid’s comment, “It’s hard to expect a parent to (control their children’s disruptive behavior) because they’re not trained, and they don’t have the time or the patience,” is outrageous. If not the parent, then who? It is true that most of us don’t know nearly enough about effective parenting, but we never will until we start accepting responsibility for our children’s emotional well-being and listening to what they have to tell us.

KAREN RASKIN-YOUNG

North Hollywood