Maybe when I’m in the middle of a morass I shouldn’t blog? The author of a recent and insightful book regarding her adoption experiences was castigated for her brutal honesty. She was told, in a very ugly manner, that she was ruining it for others. This I disagree with totally. I believe she shone a beacon of light into a dark situation, validated the experiences of many adoptive parents, and she was encouraging as well.

This... more

“As little as one drink a day can increase the odds for low birth weight and raise your child's risk for problems with learning, speech, attention span, language, and hyperactivity. And some research has shown that expectant moms who have as little as one drink per week are more likely than nondrinkers to have children who later exhibit aggressive and delinquent behavior.”

My children, especially in the last decade, with more paperwork and documentation... more

One of the most amazing triumphs in the world today is the advances in the area of Medicine.

There are several Branches of Childrens Hospitals a crossed America that have the most brilliant doctors and interns, along with very compassionate nurses and staff that tend to the families of critically ill children.

We have watched as extroidanary operations have been done on the brain, heart and internal organs of very sick children and within a few months the child is back home with their family, playing in the yard.

It makes us very humble... more

As if the thought of raising traumatized children is not enough, I’ve now learned a little about complex trauma. I’m again referring to Focal Point.

“Complex trauma describes the dual problem of children’s exposure to multiple traumatic events and the impact of this exposure on immediate and long-term outcomes.”

Nearly all of my children fall into this category, it was a series of traumatic events that brought them into our family, some memories intact and... more

My cohort at Adopt America Network, my dear friend, and an experienced adoptive mom also has a blog. Yesterday she’d come across some information about psychopathic personalities that I’m going to include here, advising parents to read the entire article.

RAD symptoms are remarkably similar as is Borderline... more

It is never to early to show off those tiny pearls that are growing inside your babies mouth. It also is never to early to begin good dental health.

They make a ton of good products that will attract your toddler to brushing his or her teeth after each meal. Everything from Sponge Bob to Dora can be found on the tooth brush isle. Including good tasting tooth paste.

They even have baby mouth brushes that fit over mom's finger tip that can be used to clean your babies gums and the little teeth that are coming through.

Some children... more

It goes without saying that the mental and physical care that the children who are in foster care and who are up for adoption lack or do not get.

A good foster parent fights to get whatever is required to make a child's life more humane. But then there are those who are out there for the pay check and they house, feed and maintain the children with just enough to not be violated on.

I have met both in my 25 years of experience working with my church and volunteering for children's events a crossed Michigan.

When we decided to foster care I was already ready and willing to a child advocate for what my children needed.

I also was not afraid to turn in other foster... more

Our world today is so different from how things were twenty years ago. We seem to face more childhood illness in forms of depression and emotional issues than measles or chicken pox now.

One of the most heart wrenching disorders that I have observed parents going through with younger children these days are Eating Disorders.

One young couple has two children. One is very healthy and doing great on his growth scale. The other is almost 3 and at the bottom of the growth scale. He will not eat. Some of the advice they have been given is:

1.)... more

My daughter, Monica, now married and expecting her first baby in late July, does not look 23 years old. Adopted as the baby, but then age 7, of a sibling group of four children 16 years ago, she’d been diagnosed with Failure To Thrive Syndrome.

She’d come into our family physically tiny, weighing only 30 pounds, it took me years to add weight on her. She ate like a trucker, a prodigious amount of food seemed to go into her mouth for a decade, yet... more

If your toddler is in good health. There is no reason that you can not allow him or her playtime out doors during the winter months.

As long as you dress them warm. In snow suits, boots, hats and mittens. They are more than ready to get out and meet the snow. Of course as a parent you will want to be out there with them.

Don't forget the camera because the faces they make will be real Kodak moments. Great for any scrapbook you may be keeping.

Kids love to play in the snow. Of course it should be for short times. During the... more