Quarantine for Your Kids with Early Trauma
“What are we doing today?” my teenager follows me around the house asking. I am figuring this out day by day like the rest of the community, and I certainly…
I Would Rather It Be Thursday than Mother’s Day
Thursday’s are my favorite days. On Monday’s and Tuesday’s, I cram all my office hours into two very long days that start at 6:00am with way too many conversations that…
How to Get Free Summer Childcare
Sign up for every VBS within a 20-minute drive from your home. If you plan it out well and start early, you can end up with 6 or 7 weeks…
How to Fight Without Ever Throwing a Punch
Picking My Battles Unwisely I was going to win this one. Those of you out there who are natural-born fighters understand this ridiculous parenting thought that rises up and guarantees…
If Adopted Infants had ACE Scores
I find it interesting that we consider infants to have “risk factors”, but there is no ACE (Adverse Childhood Experiences) score for a newborn. Why is it that infants have…
Cell Phones and the Illusion of Connection
Peace over Connection Last night we went to our favorite Thai restaurant. At the table next to us, there was a large family eating out. It consisted of a set…
Parenting On Mount Everest
“Mom, I bet if you didn’t have a husband and kids, you would be in Nepal with Uncle Gabe hiking in the Himalayas.” I don’t think I have ever loved…
The Differences in Sexual Development in Children with Complex Trauma
Sometimes I think organizations hire me just to talk about things like “masturbation”. When is the last time a parent posted on Facebook about their kindergartner, “Noel just showed the…
What Dave Ramsey Doesn’t Understand About Parenting A Special Needs Child
Money disagreements are often blamed as one of the top reasons people get a divorce. I find that fascinating since money is never something my husband and I have argued…