JANUARY 26 • 2023 | 19
figuring out “what is not set
up in the right way for their
unique style and brain, and
how you can work together
to really make things better,
”
Bagdade says.
As a longtime partner of
the J-Detroit, Bagdade has
worked with the organization
in various capacities for more
than 20 years, making her
intimately familiar with the
Jewish community and the
unique needs Jewish parents in
Metro Detroit are facing.
FINDING CONFIDENCE
Still, Bagdade says parents are
no longer looking for general
parenting strategies — which
can be found almost anywhere
nowadays — but strategies
for more niche needs, such as
parenting for ADHD or anxiety.
“These are areas in which
parents feel less confident,
” she
explains. “It can be anything
from behavior, to setting
boundaries or [creating]
consequences. They know
what they’re looking for, but
parents don’t always know
what the next steps are.
”
One of the blessings and
the curses of social media,
Bagdade says, is that there’s
plenty of content available for
reading, but with so much
content to sift through, it
can be tough to discern what
actually works and what
doesn’t for kids with ADHD or
anxiety.
“It becomes a lot of noise,
”
she says. “Instead of going on
the computer and googling
‘
ADHD help for my kid,
’ what
do I really do first? How do
I make things calmer in my
house today?”
This burning question,
among others, is why Bagdade
titled her book the way it is.
“With parenting, one day you
love your kids so much, and
five minutes later you want to
take a solo trip to Mexico,
” she
laughs.
“Sometimes, when you have
a kid with additional needs,
like a child with ADHD, that
can feel even more intense.
”
It’s a widespread concern
that JFamily hopes their new
program can alleviate. So
far, the class has generated
tremendous response.
“We are so grateful that the
course has had such a great
response,
” Erez says. “We are
almost at full capacity, but we
will offer additional cohorts
in the coming months as we
continue to understand the
needs of our community.
”
To join the current workshop in
progress or for information on future
workshops, contact Stephanie Erez
at serez@jccdet.org.
Stephanie Erez, left,
and Jamie Kaniarz,
above
South Florida
Real Estate
SHELDON
JAFFEE
LANGREALTY
• 40+ Years of Experience
• In-depth Knowledge
of the Market
(561) 395-8244
Proven Results!
SheldonJaffee.com
Weekly Headlines
Delivered to Your Inbox.
thejewishnews.com/newsletter