Well it is time to crack open the garden shed and to pull out the hand tools and rake over the flower bed. Work the dirt and cleanse it of obstacles. It is time to watch life happen.

Family Project: Create A Flower Bed

1). Purchase some flower seeds or veggie seeds. 2). Prepare the ground. 3). Give each child a section of their own. 4). Then follow the directions on the package. 5). Plant the seeds. 6). Tell each child that they must take care of their own garden. Feed it, Weed it. Water... more

OK all you hard-working foster and adoptive parents out there... always making time for everyone else. Always giving up your private time for some dire emergency that anyone else could handle. It is time you count the kids and get a baby sitter.

You are an important part of the family. If you are stressed out and you never have time for yourself, then you are at risk for burnout.

Why put yourself or your children through that. You owe it to the kids and to yourself to set aside a little time just for yourself each and every week. For married couples, it is essential that you make time for one another. Parenting is stressful as it is. However, it can really take toll... more

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

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

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

We were well into parenting our three adopted children. Pretty much settled into normal family life. When out of the blue one day we received a call from the Agency we had adopted through.

The worker asked us if we would be interested in another sibling from the sibling unit we now were raising. At first we almost said no. It had taken us three years to get the kids settled. How would another sibling effect our kids now?

We agreed to come in and talk to the worker. I called my husband and had him meet me at the agency after he got off work. I scurried around and got a sitter for my other three munchkin and I too headed off to the agency.

Some how my husband had... more

Children who come in to foster care and move into a pre Adoptive home, after TPR has occurred, often come with a lot of issues. Most of the time therapy should be continued for most of the children.

The oldest child in the sibling group that my husband and I adopted, was an eleven year old female. She had been the oldest in a sibling group of seven. The birth parents had been on drugs and alcohol for a long period of time and this child had taken on the role of parent.

Stacey was a beautiful little girl. At eleven she was controlling and corrective of everyone around her. While preparing meals, she would tell me how it should be done. At first this bothered me but finally... more