As soon as the newness wears off and you get into your everyday life, you might need some pointers oh how to communicate with your newly adopted child.

I find it is nice to start the day with decent conversation, as you wake up the kids for school and you both begin your day.

I always asked my kids one by one, "How are you feeling sunshine?" I also am often guilty of singing to them in the morning. Sometimes they like it and join in and sometimes they are grumpy and pull the pillow over their heads.

Whatever comes easy make sure to nurture them a little before they are off into their day. In my home before the kids leave for school we join hands and say a prayer.... more

As summer comes. We will need to up date the family rules for check in times and any other important things that may help keep your family safe.

The sun will linger with us longer so our time for curfew may need to be adjusted. As school ends it is always good to have a daily routine set in place, something to keep kids of all ages busy.

Most of the older children often get into trouble and pick up bad habits like smoking if they have to much empty time on their hands.

Every city has some sort of program for kids during summer time. I know that the police even offer a mentor program for difficult children in some states.

It is always good to check into... more

Well as Spring is nearing and Summer is just around the corner, it is time again to remind the kids of all the Summer Safety Rules.

I try to tell my kids to always use the buddy system when going any place away from home. That means take a friend, a brother or a sister. If one of you sprains and ankle or gets hurt or someone bothers you, then the other can go for help.

When getting your bike out, tighten up all the things like your bike seat, handle bars, and check the tires for proper air fill.

Remember protective gear like helmets, knee and elbow pads. Keep a whistle, bottle of water, and a snack with you in a back pack or pouch. Then you will be ready to ride... more

As many of you know, I am in the balance of trying to raise my 16 year old daughter. Most of the time I amaze myself at how well I handle her and the situations that arise. However, man did I mess up this time. Last night my daughter and her friend were out visiting friends. She missed her curfew. So by 10:30 P.M. my husband, little daughter, and I decided to drive around and check out a few place where she might be.

We have had a lot of nights lately where my daughter has run away and stayed gone for a week or more until we or the police found her.

Exactly one week ago she got in to trouble and we had to go pick her up at the local hospital at 3 in the morning. She received... more

As parents we spend most of our time making sure that our family has everything it needs. Clean clothes, good nutrition, good medical care, love and nurturing, and discipline.

It is a big responsibility to be in charge of a little person's life. You want to spoil them at times and you want to encourage them. Most of all you want to keep them safe from harm's way.

But what if they themselves are "harm's way?" What if the choice they are making are not good. What if the drama goes way beyond the point of reality?

First things first: Is this behavior a call for attention? It is most always a call for help. Is this behavior normal? Is it... more

You can be the best parent on earth and study all the books you can find and take all the classes available and still be faced with a runaway child.

A lot of misconceptions lead people to think that the home life of a child must be in disorder, if a child keeps running away. This is not always the case. Our home life is consistent. We have basic rules and guidelines, and most of the time it is a calm and loving environment to reside in.

However we have a bipolar daughter and she often disrupts and causes aggression in our home life. She has to constantly be reminded to use her inside voice when talking. She gets excited easily and yells her opinions at whomever she is speaking... more

My daughter April always seems to be full of drama. She carries a high energy and she does not know how to tone it down. She always speaks loud and in a gruff voice that makes you feel like she is yelling at you. Those that do not know her well often do not like her due to her persona, so she has trouble making friends in school and keeping them.

Inside she is a tender hearted little girl. She would give the shirt right off her back to someone in need. Often times she has been used by her so called friends because they know she is vulnerable.

Since becoming a preteen she has had a lot of issues. We began to realize how difficult things were for her when she started running... more

Lately we have been through a lot with our older adopted children. They are all going through rough times and life isn't easy at all. We all know this. Sometimes you have to stay strong and keep the faith.

Our oldest daughter is pregnant and she has a wonderful little boy who is 19 months old also. She and her husband were having problems and my daughter and the grandbaby moved home with us for a while.

After about three months she decided to go back to her husband and give him another chance. Of course because of the drug and alcohol use on our son in law's part we were against her moving back. But they are our children we love them and we have to allow them to live... more

When April went back to the facility. I wrote the Judge a letter begging him to let April come home . At this point we also found out that our medical insurance and the state medical insurance refused to pay for any and all medical treatments April had received while out of state, in custody. Now our family, who had the four children and one working parent, owed over 20,000 dollars in medical bills. Finally after 17 months of begging the court to let us have our daughter back, the facility administrator told the Judge that April was not capable of complying with the program there and she was bipolar. She needed a more medical alternative than a discipline corrective system.... more

This is a very difficult subject for a parent to talk about. In our everyday world when a child acts out we think: they need to be "gounded" or "here comes a time out."

We can see the behavior escalating and we know when they are about to force the issues. It is in these repeat lows and highs that we learn. Sometimes a behavior is occurring not because a child chooses to misbehave but rather it is part of a pattern to an illness.

This is why continued therapy is always a good idea if you have a child with behavior issues. A trained eye can observe the actions of the child and help you and the child to understand them. Most of the time this is when a medication might be... more