Our children’s trauma history can drastically disrupt the development of a health attachment with you. In fact, it’s something we may spend their entire childhood, or adolescence, working to rebuild. But what about their relationships outside of our care? Or their future relationships? How do we empower them to recognize and build healthy attachments with others, who are trusted and safe?
We’re now weeks into the school year and, even though some children are doing virtual school, and some are in person, the fact is they are involved with a teacher. That teacher may notice that comprehension, or attention, is in short supply with your child. That begs the question: How much should you fill your teacher in on your child’s trauma history?
“You are in a marathon, not a sprint. Build your relationship slowly and carefully. As children grow our role will shift but we can still be an important part of their lives and a soft place to land.”
It’s a question that comes into our email, and social media, inboxes often. “Should I adopt?” We have some very specific answers to this question.
Children who have gone through significant childhood trauma see and experience the world differently. They also experience relationships differently. This begs the question: what do they need the most from a caregiver?
So you’re starting out on the foster parenting journey. Or perhaps you’re stepping back into it. In any case, there are some important steps to take in order to be as prepared as you can be.
In this world, our children will struggle, oftentimes more than typically developing children. How do we help them, or empower them, to face these difficult situations? Here are some tips…
Foster and adoptive families are far from the traditional family unit in many ways. The biggest difference is that our children come from two families. How do we help them embrace their own identity as they grow into adulthood?
We’re a multi-racial family of 10. The events of these past few weeks have shaken us to the core. They’ve prompted fear in our children and left us broken and on edge as their parents. This is what #BlackLivesMatter means to me…
Celebration seems like a normal part of our humanity, but for children who have experienced great loss, the ability to celebrate isn’t a given. How can we empower our children to process the good parts of their story?
