The Alphabet Soup of Complex Trauma
Complex trauma is complicated and messy. It also has so many acronyms associated with it that it often feels like we're wading through a bowl of alphabet soup! Trying to make sense of it (and live through it) can be overwhelming, frustrating, and discouraging. Is it...
Hope is a verb!
Hope is a verb I've noticed the word “hope” gets tossed around a lot these days. We hope things turn out favorably and of course, we all hope our brain injured or attachment disordered kids will get with the program and become decent, contributing members of society....
Why Mom’s Attitude Matters!
It's no secret that the attitude and behavior of children who suffer from Reactive Attachment Disorder, Complex PTSD, or other trauma-related problems can have a negative impact on the entire family. What about us as parents, though? Have you ever stopped to wonder,...
Finding Serenity in Chaos
Serenity: A state of being calm, peaceful and untroubled. That’s what we all dream of, right? Even the word “serenity” sounds divine. Just hearing or reading that word instinctively makes us want to step back, pause, and take a deep breath. You might have even felt...
New Year’s Pep Talk
I confess…January is one of my very favorite months of the year. The holiday season has finally been put to rest, life is slowly starting to return to its normal rhythm and pace, and its now its time to breathe, reflect, refresh, and renew. Yet I also know this season...
Why Are the Holidays so Hard for Traumatized Kids?
The holidays are festive and fun, but they can also be torture for our traumatized kids! The very things we love about the season can send our child’s issues into overdrive and their behavior into orbit. That can easily make this a season to be dreaded and NOT fun for...
Could Hanging Out with Santa Trigger Your Child?
What??? You've banned Santa?? Meh, keep your shorts on, folks. The magic of Christmas is still alive and we still like the mythical fat guy. One of the lessons we learned very early on in this gig of parenting traumatized kids, however, was that we have to do things...
Holiday Gatherings Survival Guide for Moms of Traumatized Kids
The Holiday season is a wonderful time of year! It’s a great opportunity celebrate all that is good with our family and friends, reflect on our blessings, and participate in treasured traditions. However, it can also be an incredibly difficult time for children who...
The RIGHT ways to help a family heal
Though much of the world may say our families and children are hopeless, I truly believe there IS hope in this journey of parenting kids affected by Reactive Attachment Disorder, complex developmental trauma, and even FASD. No, we may never look like the neighbor's...
Where were all the parents…and why didn’t they show up?
I had the opportunity this past week to attend a super awesome conference sponsored by my friends over at CARES Meadow. You guys did a fantastic job! If you’re a parent of kids who struggle with intense issues related to Reactive Attachment Disorder or Complex...
FREE Affirmation Cards for Moms of Traumatized Kids!
Parenting kids who experienced early childhood trauma can be a tough and lonely road. The weeks are long and the days are hard. It’s very easy to get frustrated, overwhelmed, discouraged…and a whole lot more. It is also very easy to lose sight of who we are and what...
The Truth About Caregiver Burnout
Caregiver burnout is one of the top struggles we moms of traumatized kids face. There is a heartbreaking trend happening, though. So many good moms of kids who experienced early childhood trauma incessantly beat themselves up because they’re supposedly “not strong...
What If I Don’t Like My Child?
"But I don't even LIKE THIS KID!!" Admitting to anyone, sometimes including ourselves, that we really don't like our kids can be a scary thing to admit! After all, what kind of parent doesn't like their "precious angel baby" child, right? The truth is it happens to a...
Therapeutic Parenting Isn’t Complicated!
Parenting hurt kids is hard! There is no question about it. The stuff our kids can come up with, and the extreme behaviors they seem to pull out of nowhere can be mind blowing and maddening at best. Anyone who has tried to do it for any length of time likely also...
The Effects of Trauma on Brain Function
The human brain truly is amazing. It is Mother Nature's original supercomputer! The brain is also very susceptible to damage, especially by trauma and fetal alcohol exposure. The effects of trauma on brain function aren't short-lived, either. They last a lifetime and...
How to Help Others Understand
'Tis the season! It’s that time of year when we realize summer is winding down and it’s time to start thinking about sending the little darlings back to school. For some of us, that thought brings great excitement and anticipation. For others, it causes a deep shudder...
Help the right person first!
Did you know that most people are doing things backward when it comes to helping our traumatized kids and family heal? It's true. They are...even though they are doing the best they can and following everything that logic and conventional wisdom say they should be...
Homemade Bean Bucket “I Spy” Game
Like so many families I know, I live in an area where we don’t have adequate resources or help for our kids. It's not that we haven't looked. They just simply don’t exist! I know this might sound strange, but this predicament has actually turned out to be a blessing...
Puppets, Their Palace, and Keeping it Funny!
As many parents of kids with emotional special needs know, Christmas can be an extremely difficult time of year. Behaviors can be off the charts crazy, emotions run high for everyone, and an attitude of entitlement rages in the background. One of several things we've...
Welcoming “The Hulk” Into Our World
Are you familiar with the "Incredible Hulk?" Ha ha! Silly question, right? If you're anything like me, your first thought might have been "Yah...I live with him!" Mmm hmmm. So do I! Seriously, though, do you know his story? I'm sure it's changed over time as newer...
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