I remember sitting down on my couch and pulling a pillow on my lap. I was playing with the tassels to try and distract myself. I pushed the pillow against my lips to try and hide my face but I still wanted to make eye contact with my dad. Tears were streaming down my...
parenting
Opening Connectedness with Your Adoptee Through Transparency
Here’s one thing I know for sure: every human being wants to belong. We’re wired for connection and relationship. We want to feel seen, heard, and understood. We desire belonging within family, community, and within ourselves. Nothing severs the opportunity for...
How to Have a Conversation with Your Children about Divorce
Getting divorced when you have children is challenging no matter what age they are. Just like you have probably never dealt with divorce before, discussing something so serious with your children is probably new territory as well. If you are struggling with how to...
Juneteenth for Kids
What is Juneteenth? Juneteenth is observed each year in the United States on June 19. Juneteenth is short for June 19 – the day in 1865 when 250,000 people in Galveston, TX were told they had been freed from slavery. The holiday was officially declared a federal...
Dadditude – The Dad’s Vision Statement
This resource has been made available as part of Dadditude's participation in American SPCC's Trusted Parenting Network and through research and writing by John Badalament of Fathering Together. Let’s face it, in the rough and tumble world of day-to-day...
8 Simple Ways to Support Foster Parents
Dr. John DeGarmoDr. John DeGarmo is an international expert in parenting and foster care and is a TEDX TALK presenter. Dr. John is the founder and director of THE FOSTER CARE INSTITUTE. He and his wife have had over 60 children come through their home as foster...
Talking to Your Children About Climate Change
Your children may have questions about the changing climate. Many are hearing about or experiencing climate-change-fueled disasters such as wildfires and severe storms. Climate change affects everyone, but it impacts kids the most. Children are especially vulnerable...
New Toolkit Provides Caregivers with Free Resources Aimed at Breaking Generational Cycles of Trauma from a Child’s Earliest Years
With research showing much of a child’s brain development happens before the age of five, it is vital parents and caregivers of young children have easily accessible and impactful tools to guide them on their journey. That is why the ACE Resource Network (ARN) and...
Run, Hide, Fight: Responding to an Active Shooter
More deadly mass shootings occurred in the United States in 2013 than in the 1960s and 1970s combined. Yet despite the unprecedented increase in gun violence, such incidents remain relatively rare. "You're more likely to be struck by lightning than die in a...
The Five Love Languages for Kids
In order for children to learn, they must first experience love. Children express and receive love in different ways — some through acts of service; others through affirming words; still others through gifts, quality time or physical touch. Each of these expressions...
Mental Health of Children and Parents — A Strong Connection
The mental health of children is connected to their parents’ mental health. A recent studyexternal icon found that 1 in 14 children has a caregiver with poor mental health. Fathers and mothers—and other caregivers who have the role of parent—need support, which, in...
Children and Nature: Are We Supporting the Connection?
Nature activities for children and ideas for using more natural materials in the child care environment. Children and nature have always been connected. We all are connected to the natural world. The natural world is one of the best environments for children to...