May 052010
 
Care Packs

Care Packs (Photo credit: blossominc)

 

Several years ago I had the privilege of working with a group of foster parents to develop a home-based substance abuse prevention program. I loved that job!

I got to know and admire some incredible people — both individuals and couples — who willingly and lovingly tackled really difficult situations in order to provide kids with safety, stability and security. And love.

I appreciate the fact that, through the internet, some of have recently been able to reconnect. So, in the week of Mother’s Day, I am proud to call your attention to a wonderful group of people I sometimes refer to as ‘professional parents.’ May is Foster Care Month.

If you’ve ever considered becoming a foster parent please know that the need is great. And that organizations will NOT allow you to take on these challenges without proper training and support. And, in my experience, the training is useful for any parent.

Here are some other resources.

Connect for Kids brings concerned adults and young people—whether they’re new to the issues or already activists—to compelling, accurate information and context on children’s issues, as well as tools to take action. Good information for anyone interested in child advocacy; included here because of foster-family tools.

The National Foster Parent Association site can help direct you to local resources.

Rowell Foster Children’s Positive Plan helps foster children through fine arts, sports and job opportunities.

The Dave Thomas Adoption Foundation is dedicated to this vision: every child will have a permanent home and a loving family.”

I like the slogan for this site: you don’t have to be perfect to be a perfect parent.

And to ‘my’ foster parents? Thanks. Thanks for the coffee and the conversation and sharing the laughs and the tears. You have touched the lives of lots of kids. You touched my life, too.

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Apr 212010
 

Sorry, I’ve been a little AWOL. Other kinds of work have intervened.

In-laws or Outlaws?…Big Ideas for Keeping a Little Peace in the Family is the name of a conference presentation I just recorded.

My focus was on taking a long view and making a plan to work WITH your spouse to make decisions that enhance ALL of your family relationships. Of course I talked about starting with yourself first (when you want to make changes become a good role model and know your limitations) but “selfish v. elfish” and “me first v. we first” surprised even me! (Examples of some approaches to thinking differently and minimize arguments.)

I’m one of ten presenters in these new Marriage and Family Conferences online. Each month we address a different family-related topic. I think they’re a great (and inexpensive) way for people to get exposed to a variety of points of view and new information — from the comfort of your own computer!

Conference founder Shirley Cress Dudley, a licensed professional counselor who specializes in working with blended families, is offering an early-bird discount. Those who register by Friday will get $10 off of the $39 conference price. (In the interest of full disclosure, if you sign up using this link I receive a portion of the registration fee.)

Click here for more info — or to sign up.

Mar 212010
 

If you’ve ever….

  • run out of answers for the kiddo who asks — about every 7.5 minutes — “Are we THERE yet?”
  • wanted a non-confrontational answer to “You’re not my REAL Mom.”
  • wondered how to cut down on “but Dad lets me….” conversations

Then check out the Blended Family Conference, coming to a computer near you on March 26th!  That’s right, you don’t have to go anywhere to get this information.  It’s available via simple downloads.  You and your spouse can listen from the comfort of your own home!

Marriage and family therapist Shirley Cress Dudley has gathered ten speakers — each with a different slant on helping you to make your blended family work better. And, while I haven’t asked everyone’s hourly rate, my guess is that ONE hour of time with one of these folks could cost as much as $100… and Shirley has brought TEN them together for a lot less.

By the way, these are not training sessions for therapists — they are tools that parents and step-parents can put to work right away.

I had a great time putting together, Why Blend When You Can Stand Out? Creating a Family That Works for All of You…. I know that with that one you’ll get a downloadable full-color guide to use for recording your goals for your family. (It sure beats arguing!)

I can’t guarantee that this conference is going to get your family to look like THIS….. but it can’t hurt!