Growing up, I struggled with depression and poor self-image. I had chronically low self-esteem. Yet, I was in the Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) program at just about every school I attended,. I was called a beauty. I was a cheerleader; captain of my debate team as well as president of the French Club. But, I hated myself. Self-loathing that I cannot adequately put into words.

True, I had mental health conditions such as depression and ADD (though at the time, undiagnosed). But it wasn’t until I became a Christian, that I could see my worth. And, even now, I still struggle with self-esteem, but I know I can read God’s Word and know that He felt I was worth sending His Son to... more

Julia recently posed a dilemma she is facing with her daughter in this article. It’s a difficult issue, since as Christian parents our duty is to raise our children in the “nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). We began by addressing the role of belief and repentance, in Part One of our series. In Part... more

Julia recently posed a dilemma she is facing with her daughter in this article. It’s a difficult issue, since as Christian parents our duty is to raise our children in the “nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). We began by addressing the role of belief and repentance, in Part One of our series.

Next, let's look at the issues of confession and baptism:

One... more

Julia recently posed a dilemma she is facing with her daughter in this article. It’s a difficult issue, since as Christian parents our duty is to raise our children in the “nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4).

When our children reach an age in which they are able to be held accountable for their actions, they often begin to question whether or not to choose a relationship with God. If they seek our assistance in understanding the enormity of this commitment,... more

Sometimes, it is difficult for us, as adoptive parents, to remember that the reason we have children is because they suffered a great loss. In our happiness of being parents, we forget our children first belonged to another family. In order for them to become our children, they had to be separated from their first family. Separation from your family is a painful process. I believe the grief of loss is similar to the grief experienced when a loved one dies. Just as you never forget a deceased loved one, a child can never forget a first family. Periodically, memories of a deceased... more

In past blogs I’ve discussed some of the issues we’ve faced regarding hygiene. I really thought we were making some good headway. I believe that I have used appropriate consequences. We have checked for a medical origin, and went through a course of antibiotics. But still the issue persists.

Though there have always been discussions about sexual abuse, nothing has ever been proven or stated as fact. However, I have a background in both Early... more

Children who have been sexually abused or have repeatedly witnessed excessive adult behavior (in person or through exposure to pornography), can be overly sexualized. These children often see something sexual in everyday life, or focus on adult themes. They may ask why people take their clothes off, or what people do when they take their clothes off. They may want to know why Mom and Dad sleep in the same room and if they see each other without clothes on. You get the idea.

For children such as these, here are a few tips:

Talk to children about sex in its proper context and in age-appropriate language. Some may feel uncomfortable doing this, or think that their child is too... more

Though we are eleven or so weeks rage-free (and that is huge, by the way!), my daughter has slowly slipped back into a pattern of tantrums, or, if not full-on, at least obstinate defiance at times.

I’m not huge on punishment, though it serves a necessary purpose. I’d much rather use logical consequences, but frankly, I wish I didn’t have to use them as often as I’ve needed to, recently.

So, in our ever-evolving approach to dealing with the myriad of issues our daughter has (and being rank newbies to most of them), we’re trying some new tactics.

Insomnia is still a... more

The last few days have been a whirlwind, harkening me back to those first few days - almost. Yesterday, my husband preached for a neighboring congregation. My daughter, who had visited this congregation before and loved it, was having a difficult day to say the least. She had a meltdown during services. She kicked, pulled, bolted for the front door and was verbally insulting. I managed to get her to the cry room, and had to hold her until she could calm down. She was able to turn it around, and we rewarded the behavior.

My daughter has struggled with insomnia... more

And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness " Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Many times here at AdoptionBlogs.com we talk about the challenges associated with parenting children who have special needs. But what happens when the parent is the one who has special needs?

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

Education: If your child were the one with special needs, you would run down every source you could to find out more about that condition or disorder. So it is when the parent... more