feedback, please... Thanks:)

So, I wrote something to submit to various places like newspapers and stuff like that... I'd like to get some feedback before I do so... Also if anyone has any suggestions on where to send it as well...

You may have encountered me or a parent like me... A parent that possibly in your opinion doesn't know how to control their kid... I'm not saying that every “normal looking child” that still has temper tantrums past an appropriate age has a neurological disorder like my son does that causes him to have kind of an emotional seizure... These episodes are made worse by doing certain things like not remaining calm, yelling, threatening, etc...
To get through a necessary trip to the grocery store, you have to be able to remain calm, because a simple “no” can bring it on... Myself and most parents of Bipolar children don't give in to everything, but chose their battles very wisely... If the way the child can get through the trip without a major loss of control is to move around more than the other kids in the store, act babyish or like an animal, we don't correct that behavior, (because in my opinion, it's not harming anyone) but at the same time, we don't give it any extra attention...
When people make comments, it not only scares the child later, when he can process what, if anything, that he remembers from the episode, but it also can affect the innocent siblings that may be present. Making them feel even more embarrassed and alienated than they already do... It definitely hurts my children's feelings when they hear or even perceive that some person is believing that their mom (and/or dad) is a bad parent(s). At only the preteen age, they can read the expressions on people's disapproving faces just as well as adults can, but don't have the life experiences to just let it roll off their backs when they know that there is a real medical problem that causes the behaviors that everyone is witnessing...
Please next time before you judge, I just want to raise some awareness to what it's like to raise a Bipolar child... The following websites provide some information to not only those who are needing answers and support, but has helpful insights to anyone who cares to take the time to check it out... www.bipolarchild.com www.bpkids.org www.jbrf.org

(((constantdreamer)))

I have wanted to share some of my thoughts and experiences with others on certain topics that I hold close to my heart as well. In my opinion, wanting to help educate the public on misunderstood illnesses and "conditions" is a very honorable desire to have and work towards! Kudos to you!

Personally, I would advise you to change a few things in your work (which you may or may not agree with).
1.) I would title the work, to gain the reader's interest.
2.) Are you trying to get the reader to understand your behavior or your child's? It feels like you are defensive about both. That's okay if you are defensive about yourself and your child, it's understandable when people judge you simply by looking at you for a minute. However, you may want to start the article with something real sweet and positive about your child (or yourself) and then introduce the problems that you often run into. If your article is about both of you, then I'd advise you to make it a longer short-story, like 1 or 2 pages. That would make the shifting from talking about you to talking about your child and other children with bipolar smoother, supportive, and more informative.
3.) Adding the online resources at the end is terrific, with professional sites. Very good! You may also want to add a book or two that you found to be helpful when you were learning about the disorder. Or when you look back at it now.

I hope that my insight doesn't come across as real critical ~ it isn't meant that way at all! If you do decide to send the article to magazines: Psychology Today might be interested. Certainly try Parenting, Parents, Parent & Child Magazine/Scholastic.com, and Family Fun though! I'm just not a newspaper reader, and I think that this article could be very helpful and reassuring to lots of parents and parents to-be.

Very best wishes to you!