Search Results for: topic tag makes

Advantages of Reunion with Birth Family for Child and Teen Adoptees

Many adoptive parents tell their children that they will help them search for their birthparents when they turn eighteen. However, more and more adoptive parents are reaching out to their children’s birth families earlier. Sometimes it is the adoptive parent who desires medical history, information their children may want in the future, or simply a chance to thank the birthmother and reassure her that her child is well and happy. Sometimes a birth parent makes the first contact. In other cases, it is the child or teen adoptee who indicates a strongly felt need or desire for information. Some children … Continue reading →

Mix It Up Monday – How to Detonate and Sabotage Your Relationship

You may think this is an odd topic to cover here, but it’s important to recognize the things you may say or do that could sabotage your relationship and your marriage. Too often, we got caught up in our own personal dramas and trials and we forget how we want to and should treat other people, especially our spouses. So here are some guaranteed ways your behavior can affect your relationships and your marriage in a negative fashion: Abandoning the use of common courtesy with your spouse and treating the bank teller better than you would your spouse — it’s … Continue reading →

Three Common Breastfeeding Myths Explained

Part of getting yourself ready for the day when you welcome your new baby into the world involves thinking about how you plan to feed your baby. As is the case with many of the decisions that you will make regarding your baby, the best way to prepare yourself is with information. The more you know about infant feeding and nutrition in advance, the better prepared you will be to navigate the ins and outs of feeding your baby once he or she is born. One helpful type of information to have at the ready if you plan to breastfeed … Continue reading →

Downtown Disney to Expand into Disney Springs

A few years after it announced and then scrapped plans to reformat Pleasure Island, the official Disney Parks blog has revealed that Downtown Disney is getting an upgrade.  A years-long project will transform Downtown Disney into Disney Springs, an even larger shopping and entertainment district. Downtown Disney is so popular with Florida residents and Disney World guests alike that it was time to expand.  Don’t worry about suddenly needing a ticket to get into the area: just like before, Disney Springs will be open to the public (though individual entertainment venues still might require tickets for entrance). Tom Staggs, the … Continue reading →

The Controversy Over School Vouchers in Wisconsin

In Wisconsin, Governor Scott Walker created a proposal to make a school choice voucher program for students who have special needs. A group called Stop Special Needs Vouchers is protesting against the proposal. The group, which includes parents, feel that the plan would end up making it harder for students who have special needs to get the support they require at public schools. A school voucher is a controversial topic for many reasons. There is potential for people to object to the system that is used to determine whether or not a child qualifies for a voucher, to object to … Continue reading →

Koshik the Talking Elephant

Could our next best friend be an elephant?  Maybe not for most of us here stateside, where we’re not exactly equipped to properly look after pachyderms.  But the news out of a zoo in South Korea, reported by BBC News, shows that an elephant has entered the next stage of the human-animal bond: talking. Before now, the only animals we could conceive of really being able to replicate our speech were parrots.  Now elephants are joining the list.  Koshik is a 12-year-old Asian elephant that lives at a zoo in South Korea.  When he started making sounds that his keepers thought … Continue reading →

Harvard Newspaper Website Runs Ad for “Adderall Alternative”

Is your child starting college this semester? Parents of kids who have ADHD might want to take a few minutes to have a talk about why it is important not to sell their medication to other students. A recent advertisement on the website of a college newspaper makes it clear that there is “black market” for Adderall. It seems that there are many young adults who are in college right now who think that Adderall, (a commonly prescribed medication used to treat ADHD), is something that they can use to help them “cram for an exam”, or to write an … Continue reading →

My Best Advice for Blogging

Content is still king: No matter how the winds blow or the tides change the most important factor in writing is content. You must put out quality content to gain and keep readers. What is quality content? Content that effects a reader. Does your content encourage, enlighten, or engage? Are you teaching something, informing, or making your readers laugh? Readers are probably not interested in your last trip to the grocery store unless you demonstrate extreme couponing or have some antidote that is worth mentioning a trip to the grocery story. A blog post is a gift to your readers. … Continue reading →

Family History Stories Are A Good Read

As I looked for an interesting topic to write about for today, I came across a wonderful story that was posted on a genealogy blog. The story was about how the blogger’s grandmother and grandfather met – a friend had given a young woman’s address to a young man, they began writing letters to each other, and eventually met and got married. I really enjoyed reading that story, and it reminded me of just how wonderful real life family history stories can be. Whether the story is a romantic story, a funny story, a story of a brave hero, or … Continue reading →

Choo-Choo Scrapbook

Instead of celebrating the season with a monster Christmas party, this year my daughter’s school is hosting a Polar Express-themed winter shindig. The teachers are planning a series of activities and events, which feature lessons on trains, the spirit of giving and other topics covered in the classic children’s book by Chris Van Allsburg. With all of the hard work going into designing the massive soiree, naturally, the school wants to document the event from beginning to end. That’s where I come in. Last week I found myself agreeing to join the scrapbook committee. A bunch of moms will be … Continue reading →