I just spotted this... Representative Heather Wilson of New Mexico (by the way she is an adoptive parent) introduced H.R. 5888 on July 25, 2006.

To read the bill search Thomas. The bill cannot be found by number yet, so search by Representative's name (Wilson, Heather).

Click here to see Rep Wilson's press release.

To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to ensure that an individual may file an... more

I asked is it Better to Have an Angry Child?

I should have asked is it easier to help your child heal if they are aggressive or withdrawn. I think the answer is aggression (as long as people aren't being hurt) because the child is interaction with the parent.

I have used anger to help my darling daughter Natasha. This was... more

I have been writing a series about Dealing with An Aggressive Child and reading Nancy's Reactive Attachment Disorder Blog. And this led me to think about an old Robert Frost poem. (I believe the poem is in the public domain. Someone correct me if I am wrong.)

Fire and Ice

Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice. From... more

Here is how you verbally blend with an aggressive child. Some of this information is from my foster care training. Much of it is from personal experience with parenting my darling daughter.

Blending is also known as verbal Aikido. You are using the child's energy against the aggression.

. . .

. . .

. . .

Guidelines to Verbal Blending

Be aware of the feeling/meaning behind the aggressive child's behavior and statements. Ignore the content. Is the child feeling... more

When I adopted my darling daughter in 2000, there weren't many studies on outcomes in international adoption..... At least I didn't find many.

I recently found an interesting list of various doctors who are doing research on international adoption.

And then I found this email in my inbox.

My name is Frances Tung and I am currently a graduate student in the Clinical Psychology program at Suffolk University. I am currently conducting a... more

SDA is processing domestic adoptions now. They will be sticking appointment letters into the mail for international adoptive families starting in August.

If you are one of the 1,200 approved families you are probably going crazy waiting for your appointment to travel to Ukraine... to receive your referral... to met your child.... to adopt.... to expand your family.

The... more

Disclosure: Some of the information below is from my foster care training. I cannot find an on-line link to it. And some information comes from personal experience.

In Part 4, I suggested using verbal Aikido to deal with an aggressive child. And by aggressive I am talking about a child that is:

threatening violence but not actually hitting screaming and throwing their body... more

Picture source: pdphoto PAINTBALL

I love this story; Ukraine in sights of paintball group. It starts off with:

You don't see too many grandmothers playing a rollicking game of paintball. But you've never seen Marci Anderson, a 44-year-old grandmother from Clancy.

"I started that about five years... more

So if you are dealing with an aggressive child, you can use verbal aikido.

The word "aikido" is made up of three Japanese characters: AI - harmony, KI - spirit, mind, or universal energy, DO - the Way. Thus aikido is "the Way of Harmony with Universal Energy."

However, AIKI may also be interpreted as "accommodation to circumstances." This latter interpretation is somewhat non- standard, but it avoids certain undesirable... more

I found an article that reminded me of my foster care training. It is called Suggestions for Nurturing Your Child's Mental Health.

I really like reminders like:

There is no one right way to raise a child. Encourage your child to express his or her feelings, respect those feelings. Keep your voice level down - even when you don't agree. Listen to your child. Are... more