When a child has abused the mom to the point that the child must be moved out of the home – whether it be temporary or permanent – the mom must have time to heal. If we look at the healing process of a broken leg, in relationship to a broken heart, the overview may be more...

Would you pull up to a pump and fill up your BMW’s gas tank with water? Of course not! Why do some parents thinks it is okay to drive through and fill up their child’s tank with junk food?

Due to the high stress levels caused by flashbacks and self-induced tension, children with...

S’mores, Campfire Singing, Crafts…Do you have Great Childhood Memories of Camp? I do. I also remember many children crying on the bus as we pulled away from the parking lot full of waving parents. How about if camp included the parents and was designed to pull together parent and...

“What?!” “Huh?” “Yeah!”? Or, how about: “Excuse me, please.” “Yes, Mom.” “Yes, Ma’am.” “Yes, Dad.” “Yes, Sir.”? The attitude behind the words reflects the heart and the relationship between the...

Heavenly Sleep

Tired children make parents more tired! Children behave better and heal faster when they get enough sleep. Lack of sleep is often associated with psychopathology, depression, ADHD and emotion regulation. Setting them up for success includes establishing healthy sleep patterns.

Many...

Grandparents Are Important

Grandparents can be a powerful force on the healing team! Their support and encouragement can lift a heart and spur a weary parent on to tackling another day helping to heal a wounded child. Grandparents’ message of love should be clearly focused on the ...

Children with RAD, Reactive Attachment Disorder, are searching for a super hero to keep them safe. The key to healing their heart AND their brain is that feeling of safety. They test all adults they are entrusted to. That includes: Parents, Teachers, Therapist, babysitter, Sunday school...

Trauma hurts. It ripples through lives creating a tidal wave of health problems well documented in the “ACE” studies. Horrendous things happening to little ones interferes with normal brain and personality development UNLESS there is someone the child trusts to be a safe haven during...

I found myself leaning forward at the wheel squinting into the gaps left in the ice on my windshield by the worn out wipers. With my heart pounding in fear at each icy curve of the mountain highway, I glanced over at my son. His sixteen year old, six foot tall lanky body was leaning rigidly...

by Kim from Michigan

The month of May brings warm sunny days, flowers, and Mother’s Day. Under normal circumstances these would all be wonderful things. Normal, as you know, is not in the vocabulary of many adoptive families. This is especially true for a family who has a Reactive...

by Suzanne

Dear Nancy,

After talking to our family priest on Saturday, he put into his homily/sermon on Sunday about how we can be kinder to each other, and especially to classmates who might be having a little more difficulty in school…to reach out to them and not hurt them or make fun of...

by Monica Badgley

 “I’m fine.” But how could she be? Sitting, waiting, with her jersey and cleats on, she had missed her last soccer game ever.

Her sister with RAD had locked herself in the bathroom, screaming obscenities, and refusing to come out. Once the game had begun...