The Other “B” Word
by: Craig Peterson Before anyone’s imagination runs wild, I’m not talking about that “B” word but the other one we know all too well. “Birth families.” For nearly all of us who’ve adopted – whether domestically or internationally, our children will bombard us with questions about their birth families. Probably sooner than later. Maybe they […]
What if I Had a Behavior Plan?
by: Julie Beem The world is enamored with behavior plans for anyone whose behaviors are “out of line” with society. But do they work? I can’t speak for children with other disabilities, but children who have been traumatized and have attachment challenges just do not respond to traditional behavior modification plans. And frankly, I don’t […]
Toolbox Tuesday – Meet WALTER
by: Julie Beem Even after therapeutically parenting for at least 100 years (ok, more like 17), I still love to get a new tool. This tool came to me over the weekend while I was listening in on a Nancy Thomas seminar. Little did I know that I’d have the opportunity to use it within […]
Do You Believe?
by: Gari Lister Have you read the Attachment & Trauma Network‘s belief statement? I hadn’t until I went to the board retreat in January, and since then it has inspired me on a daily basis. It reminds me why ATN is important — why we need to fight for traumatized children and their families — […]
Does it Work for Me?
by: Gari Lister Parenting an adult child with reactive attachment disorder — especially a young adult — can be challenging, to say the least. My oldest is 23, and we have been through a LOT with her since she became a “legal” adult. We have faced questions like: do we press charges, do we give […]
Tuesday Toolbox — Mama’s Room and Mama’s Bed
by: Gari Lister Yesterday’s Good Morning America featured a story on co-sleeping based on controversy a blogger sparked when she admitted to sharing a bed with her six year old son. The piece opened with a clip of a little girl whining that she was scared and wanted to sleep with mommy — and the […]
Lessons Learned: Good People Still Exist
by: Craig Peterson GOOD PEOPLE STILL EXIST And thank goodness they do. Here’s why. After three days of dealing with her past trauma and feeling overwhelmed, my young adult daughter told me she couldn’t take any more stress. She had to escape. She put the key to her apartment under the doormat and left – […]
It’s Not Your Fault
by: Gari Lister I spoke with a mom yesterday for close to an hour. She wasn’t asking for help for her children — instead, she was desperate for help for herself. Why? Because she was frustrated that she hadn’t been able to accept that her children weren’t loving to her. She blamed herself — the […]
Lessons Learned: Letting Down My Guard TOO Soon
December 12, 2015 by: Craig Peterson Everyone at the elementary school was ready for my two newest sons. The principal had the facts. She “got” it. After several lengthy meetings, the teachers also understood and prepared for a smooth mid-year transition. Most likely, they felt sorry. Who wouldn’t after reading the one-page summary I provided? […]
Tuesday Toolbox: Using Family Traditions to Bond over the Holidays
December 9, 2014 by: Gari Lister For many traumatized children, the holidays are stressful — changes in schedule and expectations, less physical activity and, of course, lots of close family time. Plus we parents inadvertently make things worse — as we stress about how to wrap all the presents, cook all the food and make […]