Preparing for the Birth of a Special Needs Child

Technology has made many things possible for the human race. From landing on the moon to never getting lost here on earth with a GPS device, technology has made the impossible seem possible. When it comes to pregnancy, technology has meant that we can learn a great deal about our child before she is even born. Sometimes, that means knowing whether or not your child has a special health need. Knowing ahead of time that you will be raising a child with a special need can help you prepare better for your child’s arrival. It will give you time to … Continue reading

Pets and the Special Needs Child

When you have a child with a special need, the thought of having an animal to take care of in addition to all of the other work you do can seem like an overwhelming hassle that isn’t worth it. However, children with special needs can benefit in numerous ways from having a pet to bond with and play with. Having a pet teaches every child the importance of responsibility. Your child will learn quickly that the pet needs to be fed, cleaned and cared for. If your child can physically participate in those responsibilities, she should be allowed to. The … Continue reading

Mother of Octuplets Raises Questions About Parental Responsibility

Will it be Oprah, Diane Sawyer, or Barbara Walters? According to news reports, Nadya Suleman, the California woman who gave birth to eight babies last week, is currently deciding which big name TV interviewer she’ll sit down and chat with. Meanwhile, another report claims that the 33-year-old single mother of 14 is seeking $2 million from commercial sponsorship (she reportedly wants to hook up with Pampers) and other media interviews to help defray the cost of raising her eight babies and the other six children (all under the age of eight) that she already has. No doubt Nadya is going … Continue reading

Tiger Mother Parenting Can Lead to Problems

What’s your parenting style? Many parents use the same parenting style that they were raised in. It is comfortable, familiar, and fits their cultural background. Parents also strive to raise their children in a way that will teach them to become successful, self-sufficient, adults. Sometimes, it turns out that a particular parenting style is not as advantageous as people might assume. A study found that the “Tiger Mother” type of parenting is not helpful (and might do more harm than good). What is a “Tiger Mother”? The Macmillian Dictionary defines it as: a very strict mother who makes her children … Continue reading

Effects of Being Bullied Last Longer than you Might Expect

It is obvious that being the victim of a bully is unpleasant. What you may not realize is that the effects of being bullied last much longer than you may expect that they would. A study that was published in the American Journal of Psychiatry found that children who were bullied have their health, relationships, and even their economic status, affected into middle age. The researchers used data that was collected from the U.K.’s National Child Development Study. They focused on more than 18,000 people who were born during a specific week in 1958. The researchers asked the parents of … Continue reading

Will Core Curriculum Standards Affect Homeschooling?

You may have already heard about something called the Common Core State Standards Initiative. It is often referred to as Core Curriculum Standards. There is a lot of information about it online. The shortest explanation is that the Common Core State Standards Initiative is a set of curriculum that is intended to establish a single set of clear educational standards for students in kindergarten through 12th grade in English and Mathematics. There has been a lot of controversy about the Common Core State Standards Initiative. Those who support it feel that it will provide a equal set of standards that … Continue reading

Best free homeschool programs online for 2009

Sometime back (December 2006) I gave the gift of five free homeschool resources that you can use. That was a long time ago. While these programs are still great for the homeschooler, and four out of five are still active, in the past few months, I have come across some homeschool programs that have literally blown my mind. For that reason I present to you the best new free homeschool programs online for 2009. MEP math: If you wanted your child to get the kind of math education as children do in countries that lap us in rankings you will … Continue reading

Baby Blog Month in Review: August 2008

Isn’t it crazy the way babies grow so quickly? It seems that you just get used to one stage and boom they are already into another. Tonight, were busy getting the household all set for my eldest child’s first day of second grade. My two younger ones are excited and want to start school, too. It will be a busy month. Don’t worry about the missing last week of blogs. I’ve gotten quite a few questions about where I have been. The Baby Blog tends to go on hiatus the last week of the month. That may change in the … Continue reading

Book Review: The Christmas Menorahs: How a Town Fought Hate

My last blogs have talked about racist incidents a few adoptees have recently faced and resources for responding. The Christmas Menorahs: How a Town Fought Hate, by Janice Cohn, is based on the true story of events that happened in Billings, Montana in 1993. In 1993, a group in Billings sent out leaflets saying hateful things about several ethnic groups and Jewish people in particular. They spray-painted threats on a Native American home, threatened an African-American church, and damaged a synagogue. As Hanukkah began, rocks were thrown through several windows of homes displaying menorahs. One of these large rocks shattered … Continue reading

Week in Review Jan. 22-28

Week in Review Jan. 22-28 This week the adoption blog has moved from personal stories,to practical tips, to questions about our society, and back again. Monday, January 22 Services Provided for Former Foster Children Ed tells us that many foster care children age out of the system at age 18, suddenly homeless without means of support. He shares a model of a center set up in Texas to provide them with counseling and referrals and suggests that other states look into this. He also notes that, with all the material needs foster children have, the number-one request many have at … Continue reading