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Using snacks to improve behavior

Kids from “hard places” are children who experienced early trauma such as abuse, neglect, medical intervention, prenatal exposure to substances, or even changes in primary caregiver. These children often have significant changes to insulin receptor sites which makes them more sensitive to changes in blood sugar levels [1]. This also goes for kids with ADHD. […]

How to keep your family happy even when you’re slacking

The Operations Feed the Family and Keep the Family Happy reached an all-time low over the past few weeks. I literally was stopping by the grocery store daily to pick up a bag of some variety of frozen, pre-cooked chicken product because there was literally nothing else in the house that Ty was supposed to […]

hand massage adoption

5 Benefits of Hand Massage for Adoptive Families

Whether you need a calming tool to incorporate into your everyday routine or need a quick, effective, back-pocket intervention during a period of dysregulation, knowing a hand massage technique is an invaluable tool for adoptive and foster families. Here are some reasons why we’re such fans of hand massage in our family: Less triggering than […]

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Podcast | #29 Jamy Bechler on Becoming an Adoptive Dad

This week’s guest is Coach Jamy Bechler. He’s a professional speaker, leader trainer, and executive business coach and former college basketball coach. We chat about his journey to being an adoptive dad and some of his misconceptions along the way including what type of child he requested the social worker find for him and his […]

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Podcast | #28 Naomi Quick on Waiting during Adoption

This week I bring you another super hero of a mom. Naomi quick has 6 kids under 8–all homeschooled. Let that sink in. Six little humans under age 8 who are home All. Day. Long. Naomi writes at her blog 127living.com. She’s also an author and speaker. We chat about how she judged me the […]

The 4-Letter Word That’s Making You a Grumpy Parent

What is hard about parenting a child who doesn’t meet an expectation? Have you ever heard yourself saying these phrases as a parent? “But he SHOULD be able to do that.” “He SHOULD remember after 500 reminders.” Or “I SHOULDN’T have to do that for him.” “I SHOULDN’T have to live that way.” Me. Me. […]

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Podcast | #26 Blythe Royaards with Lost Sparrows

My guest this week is Blythe Royaards. She and her husband, Eric, are on the board for an organization called the Lost Sparrows whose goal is to stop the flow of orphans into institutions in Bulgaria through education and support of birth families and the recruitment of foster families. She’s a super mom who is […]

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The problem with using essential oils for challenging kids

When I first heard of using essential oils for mood and emotions management for kids from hard places, I set out to try as many oils on my kids as possible. I was looking for that magic fix. Quite frankly, I didn’t care if they were on board. When you’re desperate, you’ll beg, negotiate, plead, and […]