What I accomplished by attending psst meetings by Robin. Posted by:Lloyd Woodward--Monday, August 06, 2007

This year Juvenile Court featured PSST in the Annual Report Card. Some comments from PSST members were published. Here is one, although the actual comment used in the report card may have only been a line or two off of what you read below:

"What I hoped to accomplish by attending psst meetings was to develop some coping skills to deal with the constant battles my son and I engaged in. It became so frustrating finding myself constantly arguing, gritting my teeth, throwing and often breaking things to the point it was literally damaging my health, and I'm certain it wasn't good for my son either. Although I haven't made as many meetings as I would like, the ones I have attended have helped me more than I can even explain.

"By listening to other parents (who all share similar problems) and by role playing (which is always quite funny) I have learned unique ways of cutting off a confrontation before it ever has a chance to get off the ground. What I didn't expect was the calming effect it left on me afterwords. Yes, the arguing has just about stopped in my home, because I have learned to change the way "I react." Role playing with other parents and acting out your teen can be so funny, (but always totally voluntary). But when you bring this home alone and get a chance to use what you have learned, it is so rewarding.

"What would have been a big blow-out, now feels like a small victory for me. Instead of walking away with clenched teeth and high blood pressure, I often have a hard time holding back laughter. So not only do I deal with difficult situations better, my stress level has been cut down to near nothing!

"I also see a huge difference in my relationship with my son, now that the yelling has stopped, and he sees who is really in control. We seem to be able to communicate better and I also see my calmer behavior overflowing onto him. If you can spare the time, a PSST meeting is a lot of fun and will be beneficial to you, your child or any other family member who has been worn down by the arguing. It is also a great place to just vent, because everyone in this room understands exactly where you're coming from and knows how it feels to have been pushed too far from the stress of a teen." Robin

Thanks very much for sharing Robin. Your comment means a lot to us.

We would like to hear from as many parents as possible. What has PSST helped you accomplish? What has the group meant to you? Please share your comments about PSST here, or if you would like email lwoodward@court.allegheny.pa.us with your comments and I will post. Each comment is priceless and may help other readers decide to take in a PSST meeting.