Post-Permanency Newsletter

I grew up kind of obsessed with the book The Lorax. This certainly served me well as it was the foundation from where I parented my special needs child. When you think of the word advocacy, you may think of legal and political issues. But I urge you instead to think about advocacy in term of the Lorax. As parents, we are our children’s voices. Even in the most uncomfortable situations, we must put on the Lorax role, and speak up for our children.

Advocacy is an art. How you approach conflicts, situations, and people makes a huge difference on how things work out. Advocacy demands that you are calm, intentional, and collaborative in every situation. You get more bees with honey is a saying worth remembering when advocating. In other words, no matter what, always be kind. How you make your child feel, their teacher, that doctor, their friends will dictate how well you are doing your job as an advocate. Being respectful and reasonable always works to make others feel good.

It’s the time of the year where large holiday gatherings abound. For families parenting children with a trauma history, these gatherings can be stressful for both youth and adults. Here are five tips to help your family navigate turkey, gifts, and extended family successfully.

Trauma is a tricky concept. Susceptible to untruths or myths. Children who have been adopted all come from a place of trauma. How to parent these children is key to your whole family’s overall well-being. Learn how your own misconceptions of trauma may be holding you back and impeding your children’s overall development.