Thinking about school conferences this morning reminded me of some of my “best” school stories. Julie and I were talking the other day about folks who simply can’t believe that a school (or school system) would retaliate against parents. People just don’t believe how ignorant, vindictive, retaliatory, and yes, abusive, school systems or staff can be to beleaguered parents. I have heard unbelievable stories from parents, and of course, I have a few of my own stories to share.

For... more

This morning I had school conferences. I couldn’t help but remember past conferences … this was the same school that brought me to my knees a decade ago. While I don’t remember specific conversations in specific conferences, I do remember the overall experience. Kyle and Stephanie were stellar students and their teachers couldn’t say enough good about them. Of course, the other two kids were not so academically and socially delightful, and those conferences were usually about me trying to explain the big picture and the school making excuses for my poor little... more

When we lived in Kansas in the mid-to late 90’s and then moved to Illinois, I think Kansas social services did the happy dance when I left … I had been a serious thorn in their side when I expected them to provide services for families after adoption. The same fight is occurring now in Florida. Nancy Bostock is fielding phone calls, reporters, and interview requests like crazy. The reporter who interviewed me yesterday called me again today, looking for names of other Florida families who had experienced... more

I received an email from Nancy Thomas yesterday as a follow-up to our conversations at the ATTACh conference. She said I looked tired. She’s right. Next summer, I have the great fortune to be booked on a cruise with Nancy and her “cowboy” (who I have heard much about but have yet to meet) as well as my good friends (the therapists who worked with Dora at the ATTACh conference) and their families. My family will be along as well … and we are going to Alaska. Nancy Thomas promised to treat me to a massage … so I will... more

I arrived home from exhibiting at the MCCA conference last night a little earlier than I expected … around 11 PM. It rained all the way there and all the way home, a special bonus to driving on dark, hilly, winding, 2-lane highways at night in the middle of Missouri. I talked at the conference non-stop for two hours … a feat even for me! I passed out lots of business cards and postcards about next year’s ATN conference. I explained why... more

As you are reading this, I will be on the road heading to a resort in Osage Beach, Missouri, in the Lake of the Ozarks region. Today is the beginning of a conference of the Missouri Coalition of Children’s Agencies. According to their website, they are:

… the premiere membership coalition who represents abused and neglected children and the people who care for those children. The coalition advances excellence in child welfare practice.

This... more

Continuing with my discussion of adding troubled older children to your family, I am responding to Bipette’s comment as posted here. In my last post, I described the experience my family had when we added a 17-year-old girl we knew for many years. However, I think in some ways Bipette’s situation is a little different. This young man asked three times to... more

I’m going to interrupt my homeschooling series to address the poignant comment and many questions posted by Bipette regarding the teen boy living in her home right now. Please read the comment in its entirety here.

I’m going to start by describing a situation I experienced and how it played out in my family. I have briefly blogged about this family here.... more

OK, sorry guys, but many of you homeschooling parents who are reading this blog are "not normal" in terms of your families and you don't need me to tell you that!

In my research about homeschooling, I have learned that some traditional homeschoolers don’t think virtual school is really homeschooling. The former group homeschools because they want to pick the curriculum, and in many cases they want to include religious instruction. Some take issue with the government involvement and prefer to homeschool to avoid a variety of restrictions imposed by public... more

Dora is locked in the throes of passive-aggressive behavior to the max. She’s always mad about something and it is coming through every action and body movement possible. I guess she’s really relaxing and letting it all hang out—‘cuz it is. Fun fun. She went to school this morning looking like her finger got stuck in a light socket—all because she was mad that I told her she had filling manure bags in her future because she was struggling so much to do even the simplest chore. That was enough to set her off and she decided not to get her hair done. Not a problem... more