I am a social worker. I’ve also been an adoptive parent for almost 14 years and a foster parent for almost 13. Over the past several years, however, with the creation of Facebook groups in particular, I have seen a shift in the way adoption and foster care is both discussed and viewed. Adoption ethics […]
An Open Letter from the Mother of a Bully
We all know one. That child at school who calls other kids names. The one that says rude comments. The one that doesn’t play fair during games, or tries to control who gets to play with the group. As a parent seeing your child’s feelings get hurt, this can be heartbreaking, challenging, and down right […]
Navigating Triggers as an Adoptive and Foster Parent
Recently I had a social worker come over to meet with our 4 little foster kiddos and touch base regarding some of their needs. It was mostly a run of the mill meeting, a brief discussion, and nothing more. It was short. Nothing negative was said or occurred. The social worker is lovely and kind […]
DNA Tests and Adoption
The latest rage to hit my social media is DNA tests. I’ve seen countless posts and comments on people taking DNA tests to find out more about their heritage and health information. While it is popular for all people alike, it holds a special meaning in the adoption community and was one wagon I […]
Why You Should Reward Your Child for Bad Behavior
You’re standing in your kitchen washing dishes when suddenly your 10 year old child comes walking in. He asks if he can have an ice cream sandwich. Dinner is in 5 minutes so you calmly let him know not right now, but after dinner. Unfortunately, this tried and true method of delaying the “yes” doesn’t […]
Meeting My Child’s Mother
Several weeks ago we had a momentous event in our family. We met my son’s birth mom. It was amazing, wonderful and filled with more emotions than I could have ever imagined. Rewind to almost 14 years ago when we first began our adoption journey. We were only 19 and 20 years old at the […]