September 4 is Lazy Mom’s Day. I don’t love the name, because nothing about raising a child from a hard place is lazy, even on the days we do less. But I like the permission behind the day. Plan B parents feel a particular version of…
September is National Kinship Care Month. It recognizes caregivers who parent relatives’ children, a group that gets far less attention than foster or adoptive families, even in child welfare circles that specialize in this work. I spent several years fostering my foster/adopted child’s child. That sentence…
In one month, we go live with “You Understand the Trauma. Now What?,” our free webinar for foster, adoptive, kinship, and stepparents. We’ll cover what trauma actually does to a child’s development, emotions, and thinking. The behavior you’re seeing is usually not the real problem,…
I used to think praise was the one parenting tool that couldn’t hurt anybody. Tell a kid he’s smart. Tell her she’s talented. What’s the downside? It turns out there is one, and it hurts exactly the kids who need encouragement the most. Two Kinds…
On September 29, we’re hosting a free live training on trauma-informed parenting for foster, adoptive, kinship, and stepparents. We named it You Understand the Trauma. Now What? because understanding why a child struggles and knowing what to do about it in the moment are two…
Starting back to school can be both exciting and frightening, particularly for Plan B families. It is normal for students to experience a period of strong emotions, both positive and negative, as the school year begins. Trauma can add an extra layer to that stress….
The invitation arrives as a one-line email: IEP meeting next Tuesday. By the time you walk in, six adults will already be sitting at that table. You’ll probably see a special education teacher, a general education teacher, a school psychologist, an administrator, and maybe a…
Our free training webinar on September 29, “You Understand the Trauma. Now What?,” isn’t just theory. You’ll leave with four specific things to try that same night, including one simple shift in how you talk to your child mid-meltdown that changes how fast they calm…
I said yes to fostering before I understood what I was agreeing to. The hard decision, I thought, was the one I made that first day, the paperwork, the training, the home study. I assumed that once I said yes, the deciding part was over…
Mark your calendar for September 29. We’re hosting a free webinar called, “You Understand the Trauma. Now What?” It’s for foster, adoptive, kinship, and stepparents. You already understand why your child struggles. This training covers what to do about it in the moment. Learn more…
Kids who come to us from hard places have real reasons for their outbursts. A canceled visit can wreck a morning. A new house rule can trigger a slammed door. We should understand where the behavior comes from. That understanding does not mean we should…
Some Plan B kids started school this week. Some still have a few weeks of summer left. Either way, the shift from summer to school routine may be a challenge for a child who came into your family through loss. The loss may have been…