Desperate Housewives is tackling an interesting storyline.

One of the main characters, Tom, has a daughter, Kayla, with a woman prior to his wife, Lynette. Lynette only recently learned about the daughter. Kayla’s mother was killed in a bank robbery in a previous season and Kayla does not like her step-mom. Not too unusual in a night time drama. What is making this “interesting” is that the story line is showing the anger of Kayla and manipulation along with allegations of child abuse.

I’m... more

This story has been big news here in Wisconsin. Just when everyone thought it couldn’t get any more ridiculous, it does.

In the original story, a mother shot her eight year old daughter with a BB gun because the mother’s boyfriend bet the mother $1 that she wouldn’t do it. OK, the intelligence and the common sense of the mother comes into question right away, doesn’t it?

Of course you have the required part of the story of the mother telling... more

Have you been blessed with a sibling group of babies and toddlers still in diapers and drinking bottles? Would you like some simple time saving tips to make life a little easier? Children change and develop so quickly at this age that within a year they will all be easier to care for, especially if you potty train a couple of them and eliminate bottles. In the meantime, enjoy them, and take many pictures. Use the bottle time to hold, snuggle, and bond with them, even though they are not newborns.

Instead of disinfecting the changing pad after each diaper change do this.... more

Are you a fan of Post Secret? I am. Every Sunday, my Husband and I load the webpage and read through the secrets sent in by people on postcards. We own all four books, each of which was read through in a day's time. We find them interesting, sad, funny, alarming and every other reactionary measure you can have to someone else's secret. Some of them strike chords with us in different ways.

And, inevitably, there's always a postcard related to birth, abortion, pregnancy and/or adoption. This, of course, drives me... more

Are you wondering if your foster child has ADHD? Perhaps your child frequently forgets to bring homework home. Does the homework and then forgets to take it back to school. Maybe your child never takes care of anything, or acts like a scatterbrain. Do you have to repeat directions numerous times before you child finishes a task? If your child was placed in your home recently for adoption all of the changes might just be overwhelming him or her. Your foster child might have ADHD or in a few months, when things settle down, your child may act much better.

If your... more

I wrote yesterday about the ways we can and cannot compare divorce and open adoption. I still maintain that the relationships between adults is an apples and oranges comparison. I still maintain that children aren't given the same choices in open adoption that they are in a divorced family as well. But, a commenter brought up the following scenario and, well, it broadened my opinion just a little bit.

Julia... more

Does your adopted child suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) caused from early trauma? Trauma that happened before you ever met your child may be adversely affecting your parent-child relationship. Most adoptive families try numerous techniques to help their affected children. Living with a person who suffers from PTSD can be difficult for the entire family making some families feel desperate for help. Parents of children with PTSD tend to get a little excited when we hear about a new treatment. At least those of us with eternal optimism do.... more

What is the third leading cause of death for teenagers and young adults those from 15 to 24 years old? If you said suicide then you are correct. What causes teenagers or young adults with an unlimited future ahead of them to choose suicide over life? The number one cause of suicide in the United States is depression. If you suspect your child is suffering from depression, don’t wait. Seek medical help and therapy right away. A federal government survey released on May 13, says that over two million teenagers... more

Have you adopted a child with passive aggressive behaviors? It can be difficult not to get angry when the child breaks your things several times a week. Perhaps your child is one who seems to enjoy making special messes that you find in the morning. Have you ever noticed that your child’s passive aggressiveness seems to get worse, or episodes more frequent, after one of your angry outburst? Unfortunately, your righteous anger seems to feed their behaviors. Therefore, the secret to reducing or eliminating your adopted child’s passive aggressiveness is to minimize your reactions.... more

I was happy to see a news story out of Canada. Seems that some adoptees are going to be allowed to access their original birth records and, as such, find out the identities of their birth parents. I was really gearing to jump up and down as I started reading.

Ontario's new law will help adoptees find out what their original names were, as well as who their birth parents were. It could also help birth parents learn the name their child was given after he or she was... more