When a deep injury is done to us, we never heal until we forgive. –Nelson Mandela Parenting children from hard places is difficult for many reasons, but one of the most challenging parts is living with the behaviors, wounds, and pain in our children that are a result of the abuse of someone else. We live in the aftermath and it isn’t pretty. The wounds… Read More »The Importance of Forgiveness in Healing Trauma
Children of Addiction: We are Warriors One of my passions is to spread awareness of childhood trauma through the stories and experiences of others. In this post, I’m honored to feature Hannah, an adult child of an addict, as she courageously shares her traumatic childhood experiences as well as the hope and healing she has since found. I pray you find understanding, encouragement, and hope… Read More »Children of Addiction: We are Warriors
“Three Weeks to Forgiveness: God’s Redemption in the Dark Places of Addiction” Addiction is increasingly prevalent in our society. It seems most people have been affected by alcohol or drug addiction in some way. Many of us have loved ones who have been trapped by the claws of addiction, and lots of us are parenting children who have been wounded by its destructive impact. Parental… Read More »Book Review: Three Weeks to Forgiveness
I’m honored to introduce Christian mental health therapist, Melissa Gendreau, as she contributes her wisdom and advice on the tricky topic of disciplining children who have experienced trauma. Welcome, Melissa! This post contains affiliate links. You may read full disclosure here. Tips for Trauma-Informed Discipline Discipline is a difficult topic in the best of parenting situations. Everyone has an opinion on what to do and how… Read More »How to Discipline a Child With a Trauma History
A Guest Post by Heather Margiotta This post was originally featured on Loving the Wounded Child It’s an honor to welcome and introduce writer and adoptive mother, Heather Margiotta to our community! I invite you to let her beautifully motivating message and the statistics she shares sink into your heart. As you read, prayerfully consider the questions she asks us to ponder. Be blessed, motivated, and… Read More »The Church’s Role in the Orphan Epidemic
5 Skills to Master as a Caregiver for Trauma-Exposed Kids A typical trait of children from hard places is their tendency to radically overreact in any number of situations. An accidental bump from a sibling or friend can send them into a fit of anger. An unexpected change in routine can bring on a meltdown of epic proportions! Loud noises may cause an all-out panic… Read More »5 Skills to Calm Trauma Meltdowns
Book Review| 936Pennies: Discovering the Joy of Intentional Parenting There are 936 weeks between your child’s birth and age 18. How are you spending them? In her book 936 Pennies, author Eryn Lynum beautifully illustrates the importance of counting time and how to utilize the simple tools of pennies and jars to transform our parenting and make the most of the time we have with our… Read More »936 Pennies Book Review
Divorce. Simply mention the word and it triggers all sorts of responses. Awkward silence. Judgemental looks. Mixed advice and opinions. Depending on the social circle, the topic of divorce can be met with either grace-filled compassion or blatant condemnation. Most frequently, however, there is merely an air of indifference surrounding the word because divorce has become so ubiquitous in our society. This indifference seems to… Read More »The Traumatic Impact of Divorce on Children
Supporting Adoptive and Foster Families With around 400,000 children in the U.S. Foster Care system (source), there is a huge need for Christian families to adopt or foster these waiting children. However, adopting and fostering is a big decision, and not everyone is able or equipped to adopt or foster for various reasons. You may have health issues, your home doesn’t meet the requirements, or… Read More »7 Ways the Church can Support Adoptive and Foster Families
“I can’t do this anymore!!” If you’re the parent of a child who’s experienced trauma, chances are you’ve uttered this phrase. If you haven’t, you’ve probably thought it– on more than one occasion. I know I have. It’s normal to get overwhelmed amidst the meltdowns, defiance, anxieties, incessant chatter (it’s a real thing!), and having to be on point all.the.time. But “normal” doesn’t make it… Read More »Trauma Parenting: What to Do When You Feel Like Giving Up