What ATN Means to Me: Miles to go Before “We” Sleep
December 2, 2014 by: Craig Peterson Perhaps poet Robert Frost knew something about trauma. No doubt, the images in “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” relate to our families: Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village though. He will not see me stopping here To watch […]
Unselfie-ness
December 1, 2014 by: Julie Beem When ATN joined the #GivingTuesday campaign the idea of members posting their “selfie” photos that communicate why they support ATN really struck a cord. Not only because it is a simple, clever way to tell others about our work over social media. But mostly it was because I get […]
Do the “Roundpen” Work with Your Children
by: Nancy Spoolstra
It was over five years ago that I relinquished the position of Executive Director of ATN. After more than a dozen years of eating, sleeping and breathing this organization and the families it serves, I finally hit the wall. I actually hit the wall before that, but there was no one ready, willing and able to pick up the reins … until Julie Beem. Since she assumed leadership of ATN, she has been most gracious in allowing me to pick and choose my level of involvement. She understood how much of my life was on hold for so long.
Lessons Learned: Trauma Sensitive Teachers
By: Craig Peterson
The right teacher can make all the difference – for every student and especially those children healing from past trauma.
Boy with a Birthday CakeWhen my son Alex joined the family at the age of 10, he hadn’t been in a regular classroom since first grade. His behavior had been out of control, with anger filled rages getting the best of him. After grabbing a pair of scissors off a teacher’s desk and attempting to stab the principal in the neck, he spent a month in residential treatment. Upon his return to school, he was limited to two hours of instruction per day. A beefy ex-Marine stood guard.
Warning Labels
November 20, 2014 By: Melissa Sadin I recently took my son, TS, on a mission trip with the church youth group. The group was to spend four days helping to prepare a camp in the NJ Pine Barrens for opening day. It was a challenge for my son because he does not do well with […]
The Cowardly Lion vs. The Courageous Lion….
By: Deborah A. Novo
“Doesn’t he know how good he has it? He has no clue how lucky he is to have all that he does. Why does he still sabotage everything he does? Why does he always have to learn the hard way? Why does he still lie, you can’t believe a word he says. It is time for him to grow up. Where is his loyalty? He doesn’t care about a damn thing. Why isn’t that Attachment Therapy working?
Lessons Learned – Relationships over Things
By: Craig Peterson
Craig Peterson’s ChildrenI had the best of intentions. I never would have imagined my misstep – the precedent I was setting. After all, I was simply trying to be kind to my two newest sons.
They came to me after a decade of extreme neglect and severe abuse at the hands of their birthmother’s boyfriend. Both endured more than 20 out-of-home placements after being stuck in the revolving door of family reunification.
Toolbox Tuesday: Bath Time Can be a Great Way to Build Attachment
by: Linda Forsythe
Mother and DaughterWhen my daughter came to live with me as an eight year old, she was not a happy camper. She wanted to stay with her foster mother, the fifth foster parent of five years in foster care. She was not impressed with another move, nor with the idea of adoption by me. We didn’t have much of a honeymoon before the troubles began. It was rocky! After about nine months of daily battles about almost everything, we were close to terminating the plan to adopt her and her biological brother.
Lessons Learned – Entitled and Detached
By: Craig Peterson
Boys with GiftsSince my two sons hadn’t been diagnosed with Reactive Attachment Disorder when they were adopted at nine and ten, I didn’t know to look for control.
What I did see was their sense of entitlement.
WARNING: DO NOT RIDE THE ROLLER COASTER
By: Deborah Novo
It has been fifteen years that I have been “in the trenches” with two sons with Reactive Attachment Disorder. I have had so many moments feeling inspired and motivated to be an awesome therapeutic parent only to be plunged into the mindset of ” I can’t take it anymore.”