A first mother on a private adoption discussion recently posed a real-life question. I won't give specifics as to protect her situation from public opinion. However, in the most vague of terms, the birth mother found out some not-so-great information about her relinquished child's biological father. She didn't know what to do with it, whether or not she had a duty to tell the adoptive parents and how, if at all, involved she should become.

My advice? I told her to give the adoptive parents the information and let them do with it as they would as they were... more

I read the sentence in my subject line in a this brief article that applauds New Jersey and their recent approval of a bill that allows adult adoptees to retain their Original Birth Certificates (OBC). I found myself nodding, feeling empathy for the many adoptees who are stifled and silenced by law makers and people in the general public who don't often understand the process of adoption nor the emotions involved.

It's made obvious that people don't understand... more

I actually like having pets and we have a house cat. Unfortunately, here I am once again blogging against them. I previously blogged about cat dander causing asthma attacks. However, over the years of providing foster care, I have found that traumatized children usually bond with animals rather quickly. I have seen children show affection to family pets who are not able to show affection to another person. Now in the news, a house cat was discovered to... more

As I mentioned yesterday, I read this book again as an adoptive parent of traumatized children looking for insight. I’d like to share an excerpt with you that reminded me of the emptiness that some of my adopted children experience. My children who were traumatized before their adoptions into our family. Believing that there is a higher authority can help our traumatized adopted children begin to heal. It is funny how a story can have a different meaning to us depending where we are in life at the time we hear or read the story. In chapter four, the shepherd is... more

Von Willebrand disease is a bleeding disorder that slows the process of blood clotting. This condition often causes bruising, nosebleeds, prolonged bleeding, oozing after an injury, surgery, or losing a tooth. Women with this condition experience excessive bleeding during menstruation (menorrhagia). Spontaneous bleeding without an injury may occur in severe cases of von Willebrand disease. The condition, if mild, may not become apparent until abnormal bleeding occurs following surgery or a serious injury. Symptoms of von Willebrand... more

Last night, I decided to reread “a shepherd looks at PSALM 23,” by Phillip Keller from an adoptive parent of traumatized children perspective. Funny, how each time we read a story we pick up something new, depending on where we are in life. I’d like to share an excerpt with you that reminded me of the dynamics in my family, particularly of my adopted children who were previously traumatized.

In chapter three, the shepherd is explaining the strange behavior of his flock. This chapter is based on part of verse two, “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures…”... more

Today’s children who are becoming teenagers are using inhalants more often than marijuana or prescription drugs. A new government report shows that inhaling common household products is the preferred way to get high for those becoming teenagers. According to health officials, household products like shoe polish, glue, aerosol air fresheners, hair sprays, nail polish, paint solvents, degreasers, gasoline, and lighter fluid are all possibilities for getting high. The results of the study were presented on Thursday at the National Press club in Washington, D.C. The National... more

Imagine living with eight children, five of whom have had rotavirus for the past two weeks. While Super Dad and I tried to stay healthy, it was just a matter of time until the rotavirus spread to us. It is hard to avoid contracting a virus from sick toddlers who don’t cover their mouths when they cough, have chronic diarrhea, and sleep in your bed when they feel sick. It has been over two weeks since SD and I have been able to sleep all night. Little children always seem to run the highest fevers in the middle of the night. Worried parents stay awake after giving them... more

Sexually transmitted diseases are in the news again shocking people with their skyrocketing numbers. A new government study suggests that over three million teenaged girls have at least one sexually transmitted disease (STD.) They say that boils down to one out of every four teenage girls having an STD. There is worse news yet if you look inside of those averages. Nearly half of all African American teenage girls have an STD compared to about 20 percent of Caucasian teenage girls. Then when we look at statistics for the sexual... more

A grandmother wants to parent her nine-year-old granddaughter, but at the same time, wants her granddaughter to have a mother and father. The grandmother worries about being too old to parent the child herself. Perhaps she will not live long enough to see her granddaughter graduate and then another family would have to be found anyway. In the end, grandmother chooses to let another family adopt her granddaughter with hopes of continuing her relationship as the grandmother. The adoptive family chooses to cut off contact with the grandmother after the adoption. The grandmother... more