- Still Standing
- What I Saw the Day of the Family Photos
- The Downward Spiral of My Son’s Behavior
- How Do I Talk to My Adopted Kids About Their Birth Family?
- The Day We Told Our Son About His Past
- I Called the Police for My Own Son…and I’m a Good Mom.
- The Worst Father’s Day…but it Wasn’t
- What It’s Like to Take Your Child to the Hospital for Mental Health Care
- What It’s Like When Your Child Needs Inpatient Mental Health Care
- What Visits Are Like When Your Child Gets Inpatient Mental Health Care
- What Life is Like When Your Child Has Mental Health Issues
- When Grief and Hope Come in Waves
- Attachment Therapy: When a New Start is Scary
- When You Beg God for a Miracle
- Tough Vacation Decisions for Kids with Special Needs
- When Kids Take Medication for Behavior
- Water Balloon Therapy
- When You Are Humbled
- He Goes to the Park
- How to Measure Progress in Tough Situations
- When My Adopted Child Cries for His Birth Mom
- The Two Equally Important Jobs of Every Parent
- How to Shift Conversations with Challenging Kids
- What to Do When Your Kids Lie to You
- Dodge and Weave
- When the Life Has Been Sucked Out of You
- Every Test in Your Life Makes You Bitter or Better.
- Mornings, Bedtimes, and Other Routines for Kids with Trauma History
- What Happens to the Sibling of a Special Needs Child
- I’m the Most Stubborn
- Watching Miracles Unfold
- How to Find Peace…When You Don’t Get Your Happy Ending
We are being challenged to make parenting paradigm shifts.
Aaron, our attachment therapist doing intensive work with our son, has been working with our family for awhile now.
Great courage is required when you allow someone to come into your home, watch you parent, and teach you how to do it a different way.
We are humbled.
We’ve had lots of people tell us we are awesome parents. This feels good, but it doesn’t fix what isn’t working.
Aaron is encouraging, but he also isn’t afraid to tell us what we need to change.
As we have dealt with our son’s behavior problems over the years, Mike and I have become more strict because we didn’t know what else to do. We were desperate.
Aaron’s methods are a challenge but a necessary one.
Today we talk about letting the cats out freely in the house again and trusting our son to see how he does. If it’s a problem, we’ll go back to more containment. The older kids aren’t too thrilled with the idea.
The day we have our water balloon fight, our son wanders into the garage with some of the neighborhood boys, and Bekah, our 19 year old, shoos them out. Aaron tells Bekah she doesn’t need to do that. Our son is just being a normal boy, showing off to his friends but not causing any harm. This is hard for Bekah to hear.
They dynamic has become so negative with our son and his siblings. I know some of this is the consequence of my son’s behavior, but some I feel is unfair.
Yet I understand their reactions. My son is hard to live with. He gets so much attention. The behaviors are exhausting. From a kid perspective, it’s got to be just down-right annoying.
But then at times the older kids’ corrections become overkill.
It is helpful for Aaron to say what I can’t say — or maybe I have said but it’s more powerful coming from him.
I try to be fair in the sibling squabbles and equally scold the kids, but it is exhausting when the squabbles are constant, and honestly a lot of the times our son IS the instigator and in the wrong.
Life with a high-needs child is not fair.
God is molding all of us through this experience.
Still Standing
Bible Verse
I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, forever;
with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.
2 For I said, “Steadfast love will be built up forever;
in the heavens you will establish your faithfulness.”Psalm 89:1-2
Journal Prompt
How do your words reflect your faith? Do your conversations lately show your love for Christ?
Resources
The Hope Toolbox: Printable Kit for Depression and Sadness
- Still Standing
- What I Saw the Day of the Family Photos
- The Downward Spiral of My Son’s Behavior
- How Do I Talk to My Adopted Kids About Their Birth Family?
- The Day We Told Our Son About His Past
- I Called the Police for My Own Son…and I’m a Good Mom.
- The Worst Father’s Day…but it Wasn’t
- What It’s Like to Take Your Child to the Hospital for Mental Health Care
- What It’s Like When Your Child Needs Inpatient Mental Health Care
- What Visits Are Like When Your Child Gets Inpatient Mental Health Care
- What Life is Like When Your Child Has Mental Health Issues
- When Grief and Hope Come in Waves
- Attachment Therapy: When a New Start is Scary
- When You Beg God for a Miracle
- Tough Vacation Decisions for Kids with Special Needs
- When Kids Take Medication for Behavior
- Water Balloon Therapy
- When You Are Humbled
- He Goes to the Park
- How to Measure Progress in Tough Situations
- When My Adopted Child Cries for His Birth Mom
- The Two Equally Important Jobs of Every Parent
- How to Shift Conversations with Challenging Kids
- What to Do When Your Kids Lie to You
- Dodge and Weave
- When the Life Has Been Sucked Out of You
- Every Test in Your Life Makes You Bitter or Better.
- Mornings, Bedtimes, and Other Routines for Kids with Trauma History
- What Happens to the Sibling of a Special Needs Child
- I’m the Most Stubborn
- Watching Miracles Unfold
- How to Find Peace…When You Don’t Get Your Happy Ending
Sara, your vulnerability and humility are exactly what God is going to use! I think we all can relate to a time when we’ve needed to ask for help, and it does take great courage. I’ve been often amazed at how God uses these times to do His greatest work. Thank you for this encouragement to do the hard thing when necessary. And thank you for sharing on Fresh Market Friday! You are so welcome here, and it’s great to meet you. I look forward to sharing this community with you:) Crystal~