If you are a Plan B parent, you have probably had a version of this moment: you are watching your child struggle—with trust, with relationships, with behavior that seems to come out of nowhere—and a quiet fear settles in. What if the things that happened…
Every year on March 14th, people around the world observe National Write Your Story Day — a simple invitation to write about what’s on your mind. Founded in 2017, the day is a reminder to Plan B families that helping our children reclaim their stories…
As a full circle foster child, foster care worker and foster/adoptive parent, the life I have had has not been a walk-in-the-park. I lived many days as a child scrounging for food and facing shame in foster homes of other broken caregivers and youth. For…
This Friday, March 6th at sundown, something quiet and countercultural is happening around the world. Families, communities, and schools are powering down their devices for 24 hours as part of the Global Day of Unplugging — a worldwide movement that's been growing since 2009. The…
A groundbreaking new study tells us that kids with ADHD may not be destined to a life of difficulties after all. We’ve watched kids bounce off the walls during homework time, interrupt at the dinner table, lose their jacket for the fourth time this month,…
In times of trouble, there are still ways to find hope! Political controversies, the pandemic, crisis, mental health, disaster, fear, worry, anxiety, finances, and long-term effects of hard times seem to be the common language rolling off both our tongues and media platforms. Many days…
Given that Valentine’s Day is coming up, this week is a natural time to focus on appreciating our spouses. But sometimes we don’t feel very appreciative, particularly during the difficult journey of parenting a blended or foster family. One of my closest friends…
It seemed so far away: marriage, having family, reaching the “teen” years of time together. Then…poof! It’s there!! I thought people were making up the “time goes fast….” statement. That’s how life works. That’s how time runs. That’s how marriage goes–quickly. Beautifully and…
One of our kids got rejected from their dream college!! Receiving a rejection letter from a student’s preferred college or university can be disheartening. However, there may be many factors in a school's decision to accept or deny an applicant that actually has very little…
Yesterday was Groundhog Day, a holiday that, because of one of my favorite movies, has become forever linked with repeating the same day over and over. That’s a familiar sensation to parents. We get tired of repeating ourselves, but we want to try to help…
We seem to be shifting into a new type of society that’s facing our kids. Often our anxieties and fears will hide our views of what opportunities still sit firmly in our hands. We are easily influenced when what we once thought was in our…
To become responsible adults, children and teens need freedom, and they need to be encouraged to take reasonable risks and independent responsibilities. At the same time, they need boundaries. It is the primary responsibility and right of parents, with the support of other caring adults,…