Search Results for: topic tag struggles

Insurance Podcast Roundup – Week of February 6, 2012

Ready for more insurance related podcasts? The Insurance Podcast Roundup brings you new episodes of podcasts that go over important and newsworthy insurance related topics. This week, the biggest topic has to do with insurance coverage and women’s health care. NPR has an episode of “Tell Me More” that was released on February 3, 2012. This episode is called “Contraception Provision Sets off Firestorm”. Host Michel Martin speaks with Laurie Goodstein of the New York Times. They discuss the Obama administration’s decision that religious institutions have to have health plans that cover contraception. U.S. Catholic Bishops are intending to fight … Continue reading →

Special Needs Podcast Roundup – Week of July 12, 2011

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There are so many resources out there for parents who have children with special needs. Podcasts are an often overlooked source of information. This week’s Special Needs Podcast Roundup includes: author interviews, a glimpse into the life of a family with nine adopted special needs children, a conversation about stem cells, a parenting course, a lunch chat about a resource center, and more. The Parenting Plate Podcast released an episode on June 7, 2011. This episode has an interview with Jolene Philo, author of the book “Different Dream Parenting: A Practical Guild to Raising a Child with Special Needs”. The … Continue reading →

Dating Your Spouse

Most of us can remember the very first date we had with our husband. I know I do. I will never forget my “Bangladesh” pants that I wore. At least that’s what my husband used to call them. I had these big, red-framed glasses and big hair (remember the perm?) Well, I guess for that time period I looked kind of cute. We went to see Willy Porter play at a bar/restaurant. Afterwards we walked around the East side of Milwaukee and eventually had our first kiss. From that point on, we couldn’t wait for the next date. Why? Because … Continue reading →

Summer Reading Programs

Kids are out of school and getting them to read is a challenge every parent struggles with. Studies have shown that they can lose two months of knowledge over the summer if they don’t engage their brains in something other than fun. Parents don’t have to fight this battle alone. Several businesses and websites have stepped up to offer summer reading programs to kids where they can earn cool prizes and rewards. If you haven’t read Valorie Delp’s Blog, All About BookAdventure.org., you should check it out. She discusses the advantages of using this website to encourage homeschooled children to … Continue reading →

Support for Single Adoptive Parents

How can single adoptive parents best find support? Sometimes they feel conspicuous at adoptive parent gatherings, since so many adoptive parents are couples. Other single parents may have trouble commiserating with the single adoptive parent, feeling that the adoptive parent chose to raise the child alone while many single parents were unexpectedly thrust into their situation. Single parent support groups may focus many of their discussions on dealing with ex-spouses and on financial and legal matters. Single parents create networks of support within their extended families and communities, and with other single and/or adoptive parents. These informal networks provide support … Continue reading →

Figuring Out the Best Time for Co-Parenting Discussions

Sometimes, timing is everything. While I’ve written before about how to behave like “business partners” with your child’s other parent, and some ideas for how to get your mind right for negotiations, I also think that it takes some skill to determine when is the best time to broach certain subjects and discuss everything from parenting time to school field trips. Part of the problem with getting the timing right is that we may consciously or sub-consciously get the timing WRONG–if we are still locked in arguments, battles, or power struggles with our child’s other parent, we may be purposefully … Continue reading →

Teaching the Children of Close Friends or Family Members

Many parents believe that having their child in a teacher’s classroom that they know personally is a great idea. While it may ease the parents’ minds to leave their child at school with a close acquaintance such as a family member, it may not always be the best option. Teaching a close friend or family member’s child can be difficult for the teacher, the child, and the parents. All may run smoothly if the child has no academic or behavior struggles. However, it can be very hard for a teacher to tell parents that their child is below average in … Continue reading →

Read the Instructions!

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Let me start this blog by saying I am both a nerd and a convert. Oh, yes, and a readaholic. When you add those three together, you get someone who did an amazing amount of research into the church both before and after joining. I’d like to take a great resource that you may have overlooked – your manuals. The church has provided an amazing number of resources throughout the year. My first calling in the church was as the ward librarian, and I was amazed at the number of books available. (I’m one of those people who has to … Continue reading →

Junior Fiction for Solving Problems: A Home Visit From a Virtual Child Therapist.

Have you ever bought a self-help book for yourself? There are thousands of excellent books around, all dealing with different topics: self esteem, relationships, death, communication, the list goes on. While we may be quick to purchase self-help books for ourselves, many parents overlook the therapeutic value of junior fiction for children. Children learn through play and reading is a favorite play activity of children. As children engage with the books characters, the reader enters a dramatic mind space of problem solving and integration. With the help of the struggles and achievements of the characters, the children also learn the … Continue reading →

Top Five Web Resources for Adoptive Parents

With the wealth of information available on the internet, it can be hard to tell what resources are good and which should be avoided. Here is a top five list of what I think is “the best of the web” for adoptive parents. 1. Adoption.com This is a huge website with information on all things adoption. It is a great starting point for beginners and a great resource for those in every stage of the process. There are forums for adopted people, birth parents and for adoptive parents. You also can find information on adopting from specific countries, through the … Continue reading →