Lighthouse Thoughts

Talking with Teachersby Julie Drew, from”© 2010 Heart of the Matter Seminars” “Starting a new school year can be an exciting yet stressful time for any family. Every child and parent needs time to get comfortable with a new teacher and a different set of expectations. It also takes teachers time to get to know […]

Buying school supplies, first day jitters, maneuvering the lunch line, etc., are just a few challenges kids and parents are faced with at back to school. Adopted children may face additional challenges with school projects involving baby pictures, timelines, genetics or even world studies.   This was the opening line of an “autobiography” written by our […]

Inside Transracial Adoption, Strength-based, Culture-sensitizing Parenting Strategies for Inter-country or Domestic Adoptive Families That Don’t “Match by Gail Steinberg and Beth Hall This book “Contains six sections, each with an annotated list of suggested reading. Through a combination of personal anecdotes, condensed research findings, quotes by trans-racially adopted persons, and bite-size narratives, the writing is accessible and sometimes even […]

     Once you have childproofed your home, you will realize that the great outdoors presents a whole new set of problems. When outdoors, babies or toddlers should never be left unsupervised especially if there is a water:  a hot tub, swimming pool, ornamental garden pond, or even a kiddy pool. Always follow strict water […]

Sooner or later it happens to all of us, you turn around in the store and your child is no longer in view. Your breathe catches in your throat, you start to perspire, and just at the first wave of nausea, you hear a little voice say “Mom, look what I found!” Unfortunately, the reality […]

     Too much material, too many layers, exposed skin, bare feet, sunscreen? Choosing the right clothing is essential whether indoors or out. For helpful hints on how to keep your baby cool and comfortable in warmer weather see: http://bit.ly/1iTh7z9 Summer Packing List for Babies and Toddlers Diapers, wipes, disposable changing pads, diaper rash cream […]

The 10 Habits of Happy Mothers:  Reclaiming Our Passion, Purpose, and Sanity “Mothers are expected to do it all: raise superstar kids, look great, make good salaries, keep an immaculate house, be the perfect wife. In this rallying cry for change, Meg Meeker, M.D., uses her twenty-five years’ experience as a practicing pediatrician and counselor […]

Are you ready for an afternoon nap? Are your little ones making you sleep deprived? Did you know many adopted children have sleep issues?  You may have noticed from the very beginning that your child has a hard time going to sleep, or they may experience increasing difficulty in falling sleeping. Approximately 25% of all […]

What is AmazonSmile? AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you. Tens of millions of products on AmazonSmile are eligible for donations. You use your same account on Amazon.com and AmazonSmile. When you shop at Amazon, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of […]

How Teens and Adolescents Express Grief  Physical symptoms (headaches, stomachaches) Hypochondria Mood swings/Irritability Verbally expresses emotions Feelings of helplessness and hopelessness  Increase in risk-taking and self-destructive behaviors Anger, aggressive behavior, fighting; oppositional Social Withdrawal, Withdrawal from adults Sleeping and eating disorders Depression Inability to concentrate Identity confusion Test Limits Ways to Help Teens and Tweens […]