An extended family member emailed me in mid-October, asking about our family plans for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I was surprised, since I was still working on Halloween. I hadn’t even thought about later months, much less made plans. At first I…
Another problem that we can face with traumatized children is that they can become the bully in a given situation. Children who have suffered trauma, particularly violent trauma, can learn the message that they have to be the one in power to avoid abuse. Or they…
October is National Bullying Prevention Month, a good time to think about one of the toughest challenges our kids may face. For parents of children who've endured trauma—whether from abuse, loss, or upheaval in their early lives—the conversation hits…
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act require youth-serving organizations to provide reasonable accommodations for disabilities, including developmental delays, behavioral disorders, and mental health problems. Putting that principle into practice can be very difficult, particularly…
One area that all youth-serving organizations and parents with children enrolled in YSOs need to understand is what the law requires as far as children with disabilities. It can be a complicated question, such as when a child’s disability harms other children or when a program…
Whatever it is that you are feeling, thinking, fearing, hating, or loving I want to offer you a reassurance in the fight towards finding hope and resilience by saying–it is okay! We all need to hear this. May we all read it, speak it,…
This past month has given us all a lot of gut-punches, from the shooting in Minneapolis to the murders in Charlotte and Utah to the anniversary of 9/11. I won’t repeat the many eloquent essays on how to view these…
I am a sucker for off-beat holidays, and today is National Make Your Bed Day. It’s a good reminder that one of the best ways that either Plan B parents or youth-serving organizations can encourage resilience in our kids is to help them master small…
Today, September 10, is World Suicide Prevention Day. It’s a good time to reflect on the role that mentoring can play in addressing the problem. According to the CDC, young people under the age of 25 have the lowest…
As Plan B parents—foster, adoptive, and stepparents—we're often navigating the choppy waters of helping our kids heal from past disruptions while building a stable future. It's easy to feel like we're playing catch-up, especially when it comes to modern…
The first Friday in September is Lazy Mom’s Day, the perfect day for Plan B parents to think about some self-care — or as I prefer to call it, self-stewardship. We know all too well the endless demands of parenting children who didn't start their…
As the school year starts, one of the most important skills we Plan B parents can develop is how to advocate for our kids with the educational system. Childhood trauma—whether from abuse, neglect, family separation, or other hardships—can disrupt concentration, memory, and…